Saving Faith
by WitheringSage
Summary: Rowan Faith Danvers. A possibly great power in a delicate shell, but even as Caleb's younger sister she faces her trials with an unbending spirit that could end up saving them all.
1. Whispering Corridors

A/N: I've written many other fanfics on this site but this is my first contemporary and Covenant fanfic, so bear with me please. I'm starting with freshman year, and I'll probably end up splitting this into four parts up to their senior year. I don't know how long each will be, I'm just cruising here. There will be more backstory on Hunter, Nana, and why Rowan has a godmother in the South. As for her powers, think _Practical Magic_ meets _The Craft_. She's not all powerful, she's still learning, but what she can do she does *very* well. And there will be (hopefully) more on why Nana said the Brothers would *need* Rowan with them at school.

There is going to be romance. I flipped back and forth in my head from Tyler to Reid, but I decided on Reid because of the disparity of his and Rowan's personalities. But this story isn't all about just them.

*Disclaimer: I own none of the characters from The Covenant*

**I. Whispering Corridors**_  
_

_~It isn't what they say about you,  
it's what they whisper. –Errol Flynn_

_Freshman Year  
_

Rowan Faith Danvers approached the building of Spensers Academy with her best friend and boyfriend Hunter Alexios Mercer at her side. At orientation the previous week she had felt the same claustrophobic feeling she felt now. The weight of the building settled on her shoulders like the Earth had surely done to Atlas. There was something about this school that was unclean, Rowan knew; for corridors whispered and walls did talk. And she could hear it all. Rowan was born with an extrasensory perception, born with magic in her veins like her brother Caleb and the rest of the Danvers line before him. She would not Ascend as Caleb, Pogue, Reid and Tyler would, her powers had simply always been with her.

She was broken out of her grim thoughts when Hunter's arm settled around her shoulders, pulling her to his side. They had been dating since the winter of seventh grade, although they had met in the fifth. He was a little over a year older than her, his birthday one week after Caleb's. Rowan had skipped two grades, her grades surpassing even those of Tyler's and Caleb's.

Rowan looked up at Hunter who was a good six or so inches taller than her. He was muscular with olive skin, raven hair that fell over his forehead in the perfect bed-head hairstyle; his eyes were a jade green brimmed with dark lashes. The only jewelry he wore was a small talisman necklace Rowan had made for him when he'd found out about the Covenant. Consequently, the Powers had a nullified affect on him, which irked Reid to no end.

"You ready?" Hunter asked with a half-smile on his face. He knew she was nervous, not to mention she looked like she was about to puke. Her normally light brown skin was blanched, and her natural cherry-hued lips were set in a straight line of discomfort.

"Eh," she replied, absently tugging on her earlobe, one of Rowan's signs of nervousness.

She hoped like hell Nana was right about the guys needing her close by. Graduating from high school early or home-schooling would create a divide between them. Nana was her godmother who lived in Louisiana. A descendant of Marie Laveau, Nana was a Mambo, and a powerful one; blind, with a far-seeing second-sight.

As they walked up the steps into Spensers Academy, words were uttered quietly from her lips, "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here."

Hunter laughed, but quickly sobered. "Don't worry, Row. If you have to go through hell, you know I'm going to be right there with you."

----

Rowan was mentally exhausted after her final class, she was more than ready to go home and spend time with Bubbe and Ernie in her apothecary, otherwise known as her sanctum sanctorum. And she was pretty sure she had spotted a ghost in fifth period Biology.

"Hey, Rowan, wait up!"

At the sound of Tyler's voice Rowan stopped.

"Hey, Ty," she said. Rowan was tugged to his side by his wide arm over her shoulders. Tyler was a good few inches taller than her too. "How was your first day?"

He shrugged, but was smiling. Truthfully, he'd been stoked to the start of high school. He and Reid were planning on joining the swim team, and Caleb and Pogue probably would too. Almost everyone knew the Sons of Ipswich, and it was only their first day.

"Good, I can tell by that dimpled grin," Rowan said.

People tended to underestimate him because he was the Baby Boy out of the four Brothers. Tyler had blue eyes and a face that lit up beautifully when he smiled. He had wavy brown hair and looked innocent, but he was tough when it counted and was one of the nicest people you could ever meet.

"Yours didn't go so great?" Tyler asked, his brow wrinkling with worry. Rowan was a little sister to him, to all of them really, and they were protective like any older brother would be.

Rowan hadn't voiced her concerns about the oh-so-illustrious establishment that they would be attending for the next four years. Caleb would end up hearing it and her brother didn't need to hear her ill-bodings on their father's alma mater. So there were ghosts here – so what? There were ghosts everywhere.

"It was okay," she said.

"You feeling okay? You look kind of pale."

Rowan headed that one off before it could spiral out. "I'm good, don't worry." Her health was always a major concern for everyone. She'd had leukemia at age four which had weakened her to this day, although it was in remission. Consequently her illnesses had delegated her to many sedentary activities as a child – piano lessons, knitting, reading, sewing, stitching etc.

Reid then gladly provided a distraction. Coming around the corner he was flashing a straight-toothed smile, a gaggle of girls around him. Upon seeing Tyler and Rowan the girls lost his attention.

"See ya around, ladies," he said, winking at a particularly buxom one, but his arm was already around Rowan's waist.

The girls walked away adding more nasty whispers that would absorb into the crevices of Spensers Academy.

"Already making the rounds, huh?" Rowan teased.

"Since we moved in the dorms," Tyler quipped.

"Good, then you can quit pawing at my girl," Hunter said, coming up behind them, smirking at Reid as he kindly nudged him away from Rowan.

Reid sneered in return. To anyone on the outside it would have seemed like there was a competition going to accrue Rowan's attention, but that was just the way it had always been. Affectionate, playful, sincere. Reid had dubbed Hunter an honorary member of the Covenant years ago. When Hunter had found out about them, Hunter in turn told them about him being a telekinetic and coming from a long line of them, too. His position in their circle only stronger when Rowan had told them Nana said Hunter was an integral part of their circle.

Tyler laughed at the sour expression on his best friend's face.

"You guys still joining the swim team?" Hunter asked as they continued to wind their way down the halls, down some flights of stairs. Spensers was a labyrinth.

"Hell yeah," Reid said. "Why don't you join?"

Hunter snorted. "I don't think so."

"Oh yeah, you prefer turning tricks, right?" Reid grinned.

Hunter was taller than the blond by two and a half inches, so he enjoyed tipping his head ever-so-slightly down at him. "Tricking, my blond friend. It's called tricking."

Rowan let the three boys babble on as her mind wandered. The temperature went down, the chill breaking through her blue blazer. She wore her uniform a size too big. She'd asked Caleb to lengthen the hem of her gray skirt by an inch, which he was only too glad to do even if he did have to Use. So now her skirt ended mid-kneecap, her sweater vest and white button-down, long-sleeved shirt were mediums when a small would have been better.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw a flash of blue. Upon first glance the young boy would have looked like any other student, but there was an aura of age around him. The young boy was standing expectantly at the end of the hall, hands in his pockets. He wore a Spensers uniform too, only it looked a bit outdated. Their eyes locked, and the boy smiled.

"Holy crow!" he yelled, and ran up to her, the cold he brought with him hitting her in the face like a cold wind.

Rowan stopped still in the middle of the hallway. "Wait," she said quietly, not wanting hold the inevitable conversation in front of school.

"You can see me?" the boy said excitedly.

Rowan nodded.

"Holy crow, you _can_ see me!"

Hunter, Reid and Tyler couldn't see what Rowan was, but they felt that supernatural chill to a certain degree.

"Who is it?" Hunter asked.

Rowan shrugged.

"Holy crow!" the boy yelped happily, drowning out all the other whispers.

TBC...

==Okay, there it is. I have pics of Ernie and Bubbe on my profile which is connected to photobucket. And a general picture of Rowan's apothecary shop, it's not exactly as the pic shows, just trying to give you an idea. I'm still thinking of an image for Hunter and Rowan, I'm sure someone will come to mind.

==Also, for the definition and description of "Tricking" (the sport Hunter participates in) is also in a link on my profile. You can also look it up on youtube, there are some cool videos of tricking on there.


	2. Whisper to a Scream

A/N: Hey, thanks for the couple of reviews so far. I appreciate it.

**II. Whisper to a Scream**

_We are, we are, we are we're just children  
Finding our way around indecision  
We are, we are, we are all but helpless  
Take this forever,__Whisper to a scream.  
-Icicle Works_

Ernie and Bubbe were waiting in the foyer when Rowan got home. Ernie's furry tail was wailing back and forth across the hard wood floors and Bubbe was purring up a storm. Gratefully, she bent down and gave them both a hug. Animals were her familiars. Ernie was a male German shepherd that had been adopted when Rowan was five. After coming home from her final round of chemo, hairless and bloated from the chemotherapy, there was Ernie in his one-year old glory, all for her. At the hospital, therapy dogs had been brought around which was when Rowan had fallen in love with them. Rowan's young squeal of happiness had been recorded on camera, it was as if Ernie had already known her because he trotted right up to her and gave her a big lick on the cheek. Bubbe came one year later, and Tyler three months after Bubbe.

Bubbe was an orange tabby cat with a queenly temperament. Tyler had been a brown and white guinea pig. Rowan had named him after Tyler the human because Tyler the guinea pig's puffy cheeks and big loving eyes had reminded Rowan of Tyler (the human). Three years ago Tyler passed away in his guinea pig mansion. He was just lying in his favorite corner, still, not breathing. Bubbe, Ernie and Rowan had mourned, and it'd taken weeks for them to adjust to Tyler's lack of presence.

"Mom here?" Caleb asked. His was petting Ernie behind the ears.

"No," Rowan said, not even needing to check. There were only two human auras in the house she could feel, hers and Caleb's.

The four of them headed to the kitchen where Rowan fed Bubbe and Ernie and set out some of her home-made cookies that she'd baked. Rowan was a good cook, she liked trying out new recipes, and the guys were always bugging her to make this or that. Reid often pestered her for the junk food. Donuts, cookies, cakes, or pies. The baking should have fallen to Evelyn, their mother, but since Rowan and Caleb's dad had "died" two years ago her drinking had escalated and their mom wasn't really fit to even take care of herself now.

The two siblings talked about their day while they fed off of the double-chocolate chip cookies and cold milk.

"So, this Toby was a Jewish boy who was killed by two other students?" Caleb reiterated.

Rowan nodded. Tobias Adler had been fourteen years old when he was brutally murdered by two boys who had a thing against Jews. On April 4, 1946, Toby had been heading back to the dorms after a visit with the nurse. It had been after dark and foggy. Clark Harris and Jack Parker had approached from either side of the trail which was flanked by brush and trees. He'd tried to fight them but one of them hit him over the head with a rock. Toby doesn't think they meant to kill him, but just truss him up to a tree in his whities and leave him there until someone found him. But he'd accidentally caught one of the guys in the nose with his fist trying to get away which had only served to escalate the already high tension.

Some of the events were a little jerky to Toby as he was conked out for most of it. But he knew he'd been put into a large plastic trash bag, stuffed into a trunk and sunk to the bottom of the lake that was on school property. He knew that because he'd still been conscious but immobile when the lid of the trunk had slammed shut.

Toby had witnessed, as a ghost, his parents coming to the school when he was reported missing. The inquiries made to the faculty and staff. His picture was put in the paper of Ipswich and surrounding towns. He had had to watch his parents collect his belongings from his bedroom, a cloak of solemnity over their heavy shoulders. And he had watched Clark and Jack graduate, even return for reunions at Spensers. The two boys had been questioned thoroughly. Their grudge against Tobias was known around the school, but the fact that Tobias came from money meant nothing, the stamp of Judaism made it almost moot. Clark and Jack had parents who donated generously to the institution. Tobias knew many of the students suspected Jack and Clark, now that he was dead, Tobias was privy to every whisper and misdeed the school contained. Even the provost at the time was unsure of Clark's and Jack's alibi. But money shut them up. Money covered it.

"Silence is green," Rowan said in-between sips of her milk. "Not golden."

Caleb noted his sister looked tired. Speaking to ghosts always did that to her. She felt the cold of death like no other. But she had a big heart and he knew Rowan felt more for the victim than she did for herself. Caleb was glad for her, glad that he wasn't an only child and thus having to bear the onus of two addict parents by himself. They possessed a slight resemblance to one another. They both had thick, dark hair, light brown skin that denoted more ethnic roots in their ancestry, and deep, contemplative brown eyes. Rowan's changed various hues of brown in an unnatural way, but a lot of things were off when you came from a heritage like theirs.

"He's not even angry," Rowan went on. "He was just glad to have someone to talk to." Then she smiled. "Toby knows a lot of secrets. Provost Higgins likes to hum 'Camptown Races'."

Caleb laughed. It was hard to imagine the stuffy provost indulging in such a corny song.

"Are you going to join the swim team, too?" Rowan asked him. "Reid and Ty were going on about that."

Brushing cookie crumbs from his sweater vest, Caleb shrugged. "Probably."

"It would certainly solidify your golden boy status."

Caleb snorted, but had a half-smile on his face. "I don't care about that."

"I know you don't. But the girls are already swooning over the _Sons of Ipswich_," Rowan breathed dramatically. "Because they're _so_ cute."

"Nobody's saying that," he protested.

Rowan laughed. "Shows how much you know. Do you know how many girls came up to me and asked, 'Are you Caleb's little sister?' Oh my god, you're so lucky!" Rowan imitated the high-pitched glee of many a girl. "I'm not going to last very long if I have to go through four years of that madness."

"And it's only the first day."

Rowan took their cups and washed them, and then they both headed to their rooms to divest themselves of their crotchety uniforms. Rowan put on one of her colorful peasant skirts and a double-layered tank top of blue and white. She put her long wavy hair up in a haphazard bun, short tendrils escaping and falling lithely around her face. With Bubbe and Ernie in tow, she went downstairs into her apothecary room. It was a large room; one half containing the work area, the other half was where the sitting portion was. She had couches and chairs, one of the couches was of a pixilated design, and all of the furniture was colorful. The wall that harbored the fireplace was all brick, and above it she had three rows of pictures that were of Tyler, Bubbe, and Ernie framed in lime green.

The hardwood flooring was smooth under her bare soles. Ernie and Bubbe took their places on each of the recliners; the room could have also been a lounge area for them for all the various dog and cat furniture that was strategically placed around the room.

The large windows let in bright sunlight. The room smelled like a greenhouse and incense. This was her place of Zen and peace, and she did not allow bad energy to be poured out here. Reid was constantly bugging her to get a TV in here, but she didn't want the modern amenity in her sanctum sanctorum. But she did have a stereo; it was her one concession because she liked to listen to music. Caleb came in the room and sat down, putting some school books on the coffee table with his laptop.

"How much homework do you have, Row?" he asked.

Both of them had AP courses, and their teachers weren't showing any mercy.

"I finished some worksheets during lunch, but not too much. I'm going to check my supplies then get started."

Around the work area were shelves and cubbies filled with herbs wrapped in paper, or bottles of home made creams and lotions for the hair and skin, teas for headaches, colds, body aches, and insomnia. And it was amazing how well things worked when you could add a drop of magic to it. Noting that she wasn't running out of anything, she got her school things and sat across from Caleb in companionable silence.

About an hour later Caleb's cell phone rang.

"Hey, Pogue," he answered.

"Hey, put me out of my misery and ask Rowan if she's making dinner tonight."

Caleb chuckled and asked Rowan.

She pursed her lips in part-amusement, part-grief. Since the guys were in the dorms, they often came over to the Danvers mansion for dinner, Hunter included. Even if they weren't in the dorms they came over for dinner because Rowan's cooking was the best.

"Yeah, yeah," Rowan griped. "Tell them around six."

"Tell her to make that pie with the creamy stuff," Caleb heard Reid's voice distantly.

"Tell her yourself," Pogue snapped.

Pogue and Caleb both put their cells on speaker phone. Upon hearing the voices, Ernie and Bubbe's ears perked up.

"The creamy stuff?" Rowan asked. "That's _really_ clear, Reid. Buy a vowel and expatiate your description."

"Yeah, I don't know what that means, but you know what I'm talking about!" Reid said, frustrated. "That stuff you made a few months ago…"

"He's talking about that chocolate caramel pecan pie," Tyler interjected.

"Which he pretty much inhaled," Hunter's voice added to the already crowded conversation.

"Thank you, Tyler. See, Reid, now _that_ is being helpful. Take out a pad and pen and get a few tips from Tyler."

Reid muttered an expletive when Tyler, Hunter and Pogue laughed.

"And because I'm making dessert, Reid, bring your homework that's due tomorrow because I know you haven't even looked at it yet."

Caleb laughed with the rest of them. Rowan was the only one who could prod Reid about homework without him getting annoyed.

"Ah, come on!" Reid whined. "That's bribery."

"No, it's you not failing the first quarter of high school," Rowan said. "Six o'clock," she reminded them and hung up.

==I put pics of Rowan's sitting area and pixelated couch in my photobucket if you want to check it out.


	3. Inside Out

A/N: I'm still trying to fit Hunter's background in without it seeming completely random, but I will explain the hows and whys of him. - Also, thanks for the few reviews I'm getting. I appreciate it. :)

**III. Inside Out**

_Secrets and sins,__  
All exposed, spilling out,__  
Am I still safe here  
__On this fragile ground?__  
This suicide feels so alive,__  
Will you take me as I am__  
Inside out?  
-Emmy Rossum_

Rowan endured Spensers like she had any trial in her life, moment by moment. She saw changes in some of her friends that she had gone to junior high with. Over the summer Kira had lost weight so she had a trimmer figure; she'd ditched her glasses and got contacts, and her braces had finally come off. When she wasn't in her uniform she wore designer clothes, taking fashion tips from magazines and the more the popular girls at school. Rowan knew Kira was determined to de-wallflower herself and insinuate herself into "the A crowd." The two of them still talked in class sometimes, but phone conversations dwindled to sporadic text messages, a brief wave as they passed each other in the halls. Despite her last name, sometimes hanging out with Rowan could be more a detriment to one's status than a bonus. Ipswich was a small town, and most people knew the young Danvers girl who often took her animals out with her, and was often caught speaking to herself. Rowan had long gotten over caring.

Rowan still had Hunter who was becoming the only constant in her life. The only one who was growing with her without the two of them growing apart. Reid had always been a flirt, but now he'd crossed the line from heavy-petting to sex. Girls talked in the locker room just as boys did. A lot of girls were pining after her brother, but Caleb was more selective, or more cautious about who he got close to. He wasn't into flings like Reid, so the burden of guarding his Power and taking care of their mother, and harboring the knowledge that his father wasn't truly dead was an impediment to a lasting relationship. It didn't stop him from casual dating and doing…other stuff. Such knowledge Rowan could have certainly done without.

About a month after school started a rumor began to go around school that Rowan read tarot, and "believed" that she could communicate with animals like Dr. Doolittle. Rowan could only imagine where that information had come from – Kira.

One day Kira had approached her in the library and had sheepishly admitted that she "might have said something" along those lines.

"Don't worry about it, Kira," Rowan said, feeling mentally exhausted by the whole charade.

"No, I feel really bad. I wasn't ragging on you or anything," Kira insisted.

Rowan saw Kira's aura blinking dots of red, which clearly indicated insincerity and deception. Yes, Kira felt a little bad, but she _had_ been "ragging" on Rowan to gain a place in the crowd she wanted. Rowan knew the only reason why some girls were nice to her was because they thought getting into her good graces would mean getting them into the Sons of Ipswich's good graces.

Fat chance.

The bell rung for fifth period so Rowan excused herself. She was lost among the rest of the students feeling hollow inside. What made people do the things that Kira did? All just to gain status. They'd known each other since sixth grade, and it was like their friendship had meant nothing.

"Are you okay?" Toby asked.

He'd appeared so suddenly that she nearly tripped. So caught up in her thoughts she had not even felt the tell-tale frigid breeze that accompanied ghosts.

Rowan nodded.

"That girl isn't very nice," he said, walking next to her.

"You heard?" she asked, keeping her lips from moving as much as possible. Her long hair was in her face which helped obscure the fact that she was talking to a being no one else could see.

"Are you friends with her?"

Rowan took a moment before she answered. "No, I guess I'm not."

She entered the classroom and took a seat between Hunter and Pinkie, whose real name was Philip Pinkus. It was blatantly obvious that Pinkie batted for another team, and had no qualms about anyone knowing it. He purposely exaggerated the stereotype of homosexual men to take people off guard. He already had a somewhat effeminate voice so it was easy to do. Pinkie had straight, thick brown hair with an asymmetrical parting. Out of his uniform he still wore sweater vests with a button-down shirt underneath, slacks, and blazer, and an assortment of different colored Chuck's. His socks were usually loud designs as well.

"Good afternoon, sweetness," Pinkie greeted her.

Rowan smiled. "Hey, Pinkie."

Pinkie pulled back one side of her hair like a curtain. "Are you going to come out?"

"Like you fag?" Aaron Abbot interjected with a scathing laugh, taking a seat behind them. Kira joined him a moment later.

Pinkie simply rolled his eyes and pasted an indulgent smile on his face. "Really Aaron, you must come out of that dark _closet_ of yours. You're not fooling anyone by hanging out with the ladies."

Aaron's eyes grew dark and his face set in hard lines. He was about to spit something back but the bell rang and Mr. Gardner called the class to attention. Pinkie turned his head and gave Aaron a wink.

"Mr. Garwin, you're late," Mr. Gardner snipped.

Reid just gave the teacher one of his winning smiles. The knot of his tie was loose, his hair finger-combed, his blazer wrinkled. Reid passed Rowan as he made his way up the stairs taking his seat next to Tyler. Pogue and Caleb were on the left side of the room, Caleb giving Reid a chastising stare of his own.

"Kind of obvious what he's been doing," Hunter murmured to Rowan, and she couldn't help but suppress a smile.

"The slut," Pinkie hissed with mock disgust. "I wonder who the lucky girl was today."

Rowan softly elbowed him in his side.

Then they shut up and concentrated on what the teacher was saying.

----

Hunter was just buttoning up his shirt in the locker room when he heard a body slam against the gym lockers. A chorus of jeers went up, amidst them Hunter could hear Aaron's voice.

"Shit," he said.

He went around the lockers and saw Pinkie on the floor, his nose bloody. Hunter felt rage build up in him, but he compressed it, knowing his telekinesis could go haywire if he went ape shit. Before Aaron could hit Pinkie again, Hunter sliced his way through the small crowd and grabbed the aggressor by the back of his shirt, hanging onto his lapels and holding him up off his feet against the lockers.

Hunter's ancestry made him slightly stronger and faster than the average human. His muscles stood out and he looked menacing as he glared at Aaron.

"Touch him again, I can hit the one point in your body that'll have you pissing blood for a week." Hunter's voice was dead calm, smooth. And it was crystal clear that Hunter would do just what he said, he did not make idle threats. He was a black belt, six feet three, and one-hundred and eight-two pounds of muscle. He was toned but not freakishly cut like some male fitness models.

The Sons of Ipswich were watching from behind the small crowd. Reid was laughing, having hated Aaron Abbot since he could remember. Tyler was wondering if Hunter would hit Aaron just for the hell of it. Pogue glanced at Caleb nonchalantly with a shrug of his shoulders as if to say 'oh well'. The four of them knew that Hunter was actually quite lethal, considering his origins. It was pretty scary when Hunter was angry, because his anger was more cold than hot.

"Got it?" Hunter was saying.

"Yeah," Aaron conceded through clenched teeth.

Hunter dropped him like a sack of shit and asked Pinkie if he was okay.

"I'm good," Pinkie replied.

"What the fuck are you looking at?" Hunter asked Brody, Aaron's best friend, and the rest of Aaron's followers.

Brody didn't answer, wisely keeping his mouth shut and backing up so Hunter could pass. Reid gave Hunter that handshake that guys do when congratulating each other. Any day Aaron was hurt or humiliated was a good day to Reid.

----

"You should have seen it, it was fucking awesome," Reid was telling Rowan. His arm was across her shoulders and she was pulled close to him. "I'd have hit Aaron anyway."

Rowan rolled her eyes. "Of course you would have."

"Well, he deserves anything he gets," Reid said darkly.

Rowan never quite understood Reid's extreme hatred for Aaron, they had never gotten along but one day in the eighth grade they had become mortal enemies faster than you could blink your eyes. And Hunter, Caleb, Pogue and Tyler had hopped on the I-Hate-Aaron train too.

"Barring the fact that Aaron is a bit of a jackass, why do you hate him so much?" Rowan asked.

Reid was quiet for about a nanosecond. "'A bit of a jackass' is too kind a term, Row," he said.

Truth was, he didn't want to tell Rowan how or why he'd come to hate Aaron so much. He didn't want to tell her that he'd overheard Aaron, Brody and two other guys talking about how they planned to spike Rowan's drink at a party to get her to "loosen up." The thought of anyone hurting Rowan made him see red. He loved her more than he could say for anyone else except for his brothers. She was the only girl he loved and probably the only one he would ever love like he did. The other guys may have felt a brotherly love for her, but Reid's had always been somewhat different. Rowan was the only one who had un-wavering faith in him that he wouldn't become old and decrepit after he Ascended. Reid could sit and be quiet with her, not having to say anything and go away like he'd had the best conversation of his life. He didn't ever need to pretend around her. Rowan was smart, funny, and the fact that she was completely unaware of her beauty made her all the more beautiful to Reid. Sometimes he'd find himself comparing other girls to her.

Sure he messed around with the superficial. The girls who had their boobs popping out of their tops and skirts so short you could see the curves of their asses, but that was all just a pleasant distraction for him. Reid was the love 'em and leave 'em type, not so heavy on the love though.

Reid had always been in love with Rowan, but had not been a solid thought until he had kissed her on her eighth birthday. He had been ten. It'd been his first kiss, too. Reid just knew that if he pursued his feelings that he'd fuck it up, too immature right now to be any sort of good boyfriend to her. It didn't stop him from feeling jealous when he saw Hunter with Rowan. That guy was the epitome of a perfect boyfriend.

"So, are you throwing yourself a birthday?" Rowan asked him.

Reid's birthday was October thirty-first. Insert joke here.

"Hells yeah!" he said, perking up. "My parents won't be home, so." He shrugged.

"And they're letting you have an unsupervised party?"

His parents didn't care too much what he did, so long as he kept his Power in check. The Garwins traveled a lot, often leaving their only son to fend for himself. From their auras Rowan could tell they loved him, but they were just a flighty couple, and often neglectful. Reid tried to brush it off like he didn't care, but Rowan knew deep inside that it hurt him a little.

"I'm going to be fifteen," he told her. "As long as I don't burn the house down, it's all good." And he smiled wickedly at her.

* * *

Note: I have Pinkie's picture up. :)


	4. Gotta be Somebody

**IV. Gotta be Somebody**

_Cause nobody wants to be the last one there__  
Cause everyone wants to feel like someone cares__  
Someone to love with my life in their hands__  
There's gotta be somebody for me like that__  
Cause nobody wants to go it on their own__  
And everyone wants to know they're not alone__  
There's somebody else that feels the same somewhere__  
There's gotta be somebody for me out there  
-Nickelback_

It was Reid's birthday, and as with anyone's birthday Rowan surprised him in the morning with a gift. The fact that she'd been doing it since she could remember made it less of a surprise, but it was something of a tradition. She'd done the same on Caleb's, Hunter's and Pogue's birthdays, now it was Reid's turn. Tyler was already awake when Rowan waltzed into their dorm room. Naturally, Reid was still asleep, completely dead to the world. She plopped on his bed rather unceremoniously, causing Reid to groan in agitation though it did nothing to rouse him from his slumber.

"How late was he up last night?" she asked Tyler.

He shrugged. "It was Friday," he said, which was all the explanation Rowan needed.

She sighed and shook her head. "Okay! Wake up, birthday boy!" She jerked Reid's shoulder, making his body flop around like a rag doll.

"No," he growled with his eyes closed.

"Fine, you're not getting your present then. Or the breakfast…" Her voice trailed off. "Or your cake…"

One of Reid's blue eyes popped open. Gifts and one of Rowan's elaborate breakfast feasts were always a good incentive to wake up, and seeing her face first thing in the morning was a pretty damned good one, too. Reid turned over on his back, still not entirely conscious, but more alert. Rowan was wearing jeans that curved to her body perfectly, a T-shirt that read 'CLUB SODA, NOT SEALS' and her Chuck's. Her long, glossy hair hung over her shoulders like ebony waves.

"Whatcha make?" he asked with a smirk.

Rowan laughed. "You'll have to come over to find out. I couldn't bring the breakfast here."

Tyler was already dressed wearing blue jeans, sneakers, white T-shirt with a green zip-up hoodie. Pogue and Hunter would be here any minute. They needed to eat, too. Since none of them could officially drive yet, one of them would have to ride on Pogue's bike, one on Hunter's bike, and Rowan would most likely ride by herself.

"So, come on," she insisted. She bent over his head and ruffled his hair and kissed him on his temple.

"Yeah, Sleeping Beauty," Pogue interjected, coming into the room with Hunter. "I'm hungry."

"Is that any way to greet me on my birthday?" Reid whined, finally getting out of bed as slowly as an eighty year old. He wore black boxers and nothing else. Reid wasn't modest, he'd known these guys all his life so it didn't matter, and it wasn't as if Rowan hadn't seen him in his boxers before either.

"You'd think he learn the routine by now," Tyler said.

"Shut up, Baby Boy," Reid griped, shutting the bathroom door behind him.

"Wash off last night's skank while you're in there," Pogue called after him, receiving an expletive and likely a colorful hand gesture that Pogue couldn't see. Pogue turned to Hunter and deadpanned. "He's riding with you."

"Gee, thanks," Hunter replied dryly.

Twenty minutes later, they were all set to go. As Pogue said, Reid rode on Hunter's bike, Tyler with Pogue, and Rowan by herself. She was rather content with her blue Newport 150 motor scooter, it got her from place to place just fine. And on a side note, she was way too light to even dare ride a motorcycle. Hunter's Ducati Superbike 999 and Pogue's own Ducati were monsters compared to her ride. It didn't go as fast as Hunter's and Pogue's rides, but she wasn't a speed demon like them.

It didn't take long to get to the Danvers' estate. They walked through the heavy double-doors. There was a Happy Birthday banner hung up; Ernie and Bubbe had party hats on. As Rowan insisted, Caleb had the video camera running. Rowan was very much into posterity and often had a camera or camcorder in her possession. She had dozens of photo albums with some very incriminating - i.e. embarrassing - photos , and videos of the same like. It was with Ernie, Bubbe and the late Tyler that she cut and edited the most. The Best of Ernie. The Best of Bubbe. The Best of Tyler, and a tribute to him when he'd died. She had a website dedicated to animal rights, campaigns, and pictures of animals that needed a loving home at the humane society she volunteered at twice a week.

If there was ever a person more dedicated to the preservation of an animal's right to joy and good living, it was Rowan. She had known she'd wanted to work with animals since she was five. Rowan had decided on being a veterinary technician and ethologist.

Back to Reid's morning party, Rowan snapped a party hat on his head too. It was required, like admittance to the breakfast. Pogue, Caleb and Hunter had endured the indignity as well, as would Tyler when his birthday came up in February.

"One of these days…" Reid muttered, shaking his head.

Luckily their morning wasn't spoiled by Caleb's and Rowan's mother. She was upstairs no doubt sleeping off a hangover. As the birthday boy, Reid didn't have to get up from the head of the table. The food came to him. Chocolate chip pancakes, scrambled eggs, toast, sausage, hash browns and orange juice. Ernie and Bubbe sat at his feet, just waiting for him to drop a morsel.

"Hey, you guys know better," Rowan told them and the dog and cat shuffled a little ways away from the table, but their beady eyes didn't lose their hope.

Fifteen minutes into the breakfast, Reid griped, "Can I take this off now? It's itching my chin."

Everyone laughed.

"They got to take theirs off," Reid said, referring to Ernie and Bubbe.

"You are the whiniest birthday boy in the world," Rowan said.

"This is news?" Caleb commented wryly.

Reid snapped the party off and scratched his bristly chin, having forgot to shave that morning. After breakfast they moved to the sitting room in the Danvers mansion to give Reid his gifts. Tyler got him the latest X-Box game. Pogue, Caleb, and Hunter had beanies and hoodies for him. Rowan handed him her gift last. Every year she knitted him a new pair of fingerless gloves. He'd rarely gone without them since his eleventh birthday. On the inner wrist if you flipped it up each one had a word: HAVE and FAITH. Her middle name was Faith so it was an on-running joke of everyone's.

"Great," Reid said sincerely. "I had a hole in my last one." He was sitting next to her so he gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"And you'll have your own personalized cake at your party tonight," Rowan added. "Made by yours truly."

"With a stripper inside?" Reid asked hopefully.

The guys groaned and hurled throw pillows at him.

----

The music was blasting inside Garwin estate. People were in their Halloween costumes, some who'd been invited and some who had probably not been. There were so many people that it was hard to tell. It was just good to be at a party of one of the Sons of Ipswich. To say that you had actually been inside one of their grand estates, even snuck upstairs to find out more about the four enigmatic families.

The cake Rowan had made was nearly all gone. It was a large sheet cake in the design of a pool table.

Reid was now maneuvering his way through the throngs of people to get to the refreshment table. He'd just spent a good twenty minutes making out with some chick from Spensers – what was her name? – and was dying of thirst. He decided to bypass the mass of people near the table and went into the kitchen instead. It was quiet back here, although a mess. The lights were dimmed, and his ears throbbed from the sudden cessation of mind-numbing music.

He would have to thank Rowan again for the cake and the breakfast. How she figured out something new to surprise him with every year he didn't know. Reid was having fun at his party now, but this morning had meant more to him. Hanging out with the people who gave more than half a shit about him. Reid didn't delude himself into thinking that any of the girls he slept with truly cared about him. He got a Coke from the fridge, snapped the tab and chugged down half the can. He was just about to go back to the crowd when he heard stifled laughter from around the corner near the laundry room.

Reid smirked. Who would be the lucky couple he would get to bust and cause embarrassment to? But when he got close enough he recognized the laugh – Rowan's. she had a distinct laugh. Low, and light, musical. Of course she was with Hunter. It made the cake and soda curdle in his stomach like a bad chemical reaction. His steps were quiet as he peeked around the edge. Hunter was so much taller than Rowan that she stood on her tip-toes. She was wearing black Mary-Jane's with black tights, charcoal grey skirt that stopped about two inches above her knees; a dark green vest, and green satin bolero jacket over it. She'd went as a leprechaun.

Hunter was kissing her softly, and the two of them looked content in their own little world. The green-eyed monster of jealousy burned inside of him, and he tortured himself a minute longer, watching Rowan being kissed, like he often imagined kissing her. It was made all the worse that Hunter was like a brother to him, and he was a really good guy to boot so Reid couldn't hate him.

He didn't know how two people Hunter and Rowan's age could stay together for so long. But only an idiot would be stupid to give up a girl like Rowan. If the blond Son ever had her he'd never let her go.

_Okay, that sounded a little psychotic, Reid_, he told himself. He ripped his blue eyes away from the couple and went as quietly as he'd come, back into the loud susurrus of revelry. He needed something stronger than Coke, snuck into his dad's study, and poured some Rum into what was left of the can. He let it burn down his throat and into his stomach, knowing he was going to pay for this tomorrow morning.

* * *

I have pics of Rowan's and Hunter's bikes, and a pic of her T-shirt and Reid's birthday cake on my profiel.

I'd really like to know what you guys think, so I know how I'm doing. :) Thanks!


	5. Legacies

**V. Legacies**

_History is herstory, too.  
-Anonymous_

Rowan woke up early on Sunday morning, warm in her bed, Ernie hogging most of the covers as usual, Bubbe on the pillow. Hunter was in the next room, probably still asleep. They had left Reid's party around one, even though it was still at full speed. Caleb was probably home too, unless he had decided to stay with that girl she'd briefly seen him canoodling with in a corner. Rowan got up, stretched, peeked out her window, an overcast day, nothing unusual. She had some errands to run. Going to the local pharmacy to get her dad's meds, then she'd go to the Colony house, spend some time there reading to her dad until he fell asleep, then maybe continue the ongoing game of chess with Gorman.

Ernie and Bubbe propped themselves up when they saw she was leaving the room. They followed her downstairs to the kitchen for breakfast. She had a piece of toast and glass of OJ, and then it was back upstairs to shower, dress, and head out. First, she went to her mom's room to see how she was. Looking in the dim master bedroom she saw her mom passed out on the bed. She checked on Hunter, too, he was out like a light. Rowan gave him a kiss on the forehead and left.

Rowan was full of thoughts as she sped down the vacant road on her motor scooter. Her brother Caleb never looked forward to going to the Colony house. Seeing their dad was more painful for him than it was for her, probably because their dad had become old before his time by abusing his Power, and Caleb was afraid of becoming like that, no one wanted to look into a mirror that revealed a horrid future. But Rowan believed that Cay wouldn't go down the same dark path as their father. He was stronger than that. So while their mother Evelyn constantly lectured him during her drinking binges, telling him that he _would_ end up like William Danvers III if he strayed, Rowan told him that he _wouldn't_ end up like that.

The small town of Ipswich was fairly quiet at this hour. It was Sunday after all; the day of rest, although the church bells were ringing at the moment. She parked her bike outside of the pharmacy, her entrance accompanied by the jingling of the small bell above the door.

"Hello, Rowan," Mr. White greeted her.

"Hi, Mr. White. How're you?"

"I'm doing just fine. How are you?"

Rowan shrugged. "Can't complain, I guess." She leaned against the counter, Mr. White already gathering the same prescription that was picked up every month for the past two years.

"How are Ernie and Bubbe?" Mr. White asked.

Rowan smiled. Ernie and Bubbe were rather well-known around Ipswich. When she was six, in remission from cancer, she had been seen with Ernie, Bubbe, and Tyler, and tourists thought it was some sort of stunt. Bubbe on Ernie's back, Tyler under Bubbe's chin. Rowan couldn't fathom what had been so amusing about it, but she let them take pictures, and then one of those pictures had appeared in the local newspaper and everyone thought it was the cutest thing. Rowan hadn't trained them to do that, they were all friends, who said a dog couldn't tolerate a cat, and a cat couldn't tolerate a guinea pig?

"They're good."

"Glad to hear it. There you go," he said, handing her the crinkly bag with the bottle of pills.

"Thanks, Mr. White. Have a good day."

"You too, Rowan. Drive safely!"

"I will," she called back with a wave.

Outside, she lifted the storage compartment on her bike and placed the bag in there. She slipped on her helmet, adjusted the straps and she was off again. The ride to their family's Colony house was always a quiet one. The landscaping was pretty, and the road was all but deserted. It only got gloomy the last two miles with the large trees overhead obscuring the sunlight if there was some.

But even this place was full of ghosts. Some long gone, but their shadows lingered. Events can leave their fingerprints anywhere. And in a place where people were hanged, - some innocent, some not, - left screams that eventually lulled into frantic, hushed whispers. The Addams family would have loved it here.

The house could have definitely used some remodeling, but to keep the façade of vacancy Rowan supposed the image of dereliction was the way to go. But that didn't mean the inside couldn't be redone. She opened the creaking door and closed it behind her. The place was dark. The sitting area's fireplace was lit, but that was all. With her messenger bag and her dad's pills she made her way up the stairs; hand on the rail of old wood. Every crack and crevice held some sort of memory; tingles of emotions that once were. It was warmer upstairs, and considerably brighter which wasn't say much. An antique lamp was on, though dim, candles were lit, but it was the hearth in which her father was sitting in front of that illumed most of the room. The two windows let in some light, too.

The carpet was old and faded, the walls obscured by aged relics. One of them being a ram's head. Rowan had staunchly campaigned to get it taken down and burned somewhere, but like everything else here, it was priceless. Rowan thought it was distasteful and felt sorry that the poor ram's afterlife had to be partially spent nailed to a wall.

"Hello, Rowan," Gorman greeted her.

"Hi, Gandalf," she said, her nickname for him. The old man tolerated it for her. "What's up?"

"The sky, Rowan," Gorman deadpanned.

"Old fart," she replied, and he laughed hoarsely.

"Hey, Dad." Rowan looked down at her father who sat somewhat slumped in his big, cushy chair. He was forty-one years old but looked a man of a hundred-plus years. It didn't seem like any good way to live to her. William Danvers III had been consumed by avarice, and now he was slowly being consumed by Time.

She gave him a peck on his forehead and pulled up the companion chair in front of the fire. His rheumy eyes held affection as he looked upon his only daughter. He could barely speak, or move his lips, but William Danvers III was more than content sitting and listening to his daughter. Not even his wife and son came to visit him so regularly, but he supposed he couldn't blame them. Couldn't blame them at all.

Rowan tried to keep her reading selections light-hearted, and let her dad have some say-so into what she'd be narrating. A couple of weeks ago he'd opted for _The Once and Future King. _So for the next half-hour Rowan read to him in her soft, clear, enunciated voice, occasionally glancing up at him to see if he'd fallen asleep or not yet. Eventually he did. Gorman told her that he always slept more soundly the days she came to visit.

Rowan placed the book on the table and crept quietly away from her father. Gorman had made them tea and they silently took their places across from one another at the table at the back of the room and commenced their game of chess.

"How was Reid's birthday?" he asked.

"Good. Loud. Crowded."

"Sounds about right. That boy." He tsked and shook his head. "How's your mother?" Gorman simply felt sorry for Evelyn. She had not been strong enough to handle the downfall of her husband. It was one of the risks the women took when marrying a Son of Ipswich. But she had decided to drown in her cups, leaving her two good children to fend virtually for themselves. But the old man did not believe their mother was a bad person, just a terribly sad one.

Gorman could tell that Rowan was struggling with something, but he knew she would come to it in her own time. Since she had gotten back from Nana's this past summer…no doubt receiving Nana's latest prophecy. Nana, or Eve Delacroix, was a descendent of slaves and a line of strong voodoo practitioners who knew Ebeneezer Gorman Twoberry, one of Gorman's great-grandfathers who escaped from a New Orleans plantation. He had helped aid runaway slaves, of which Spensers Academy had served as a terminal. The Twoberry's links to voodooism remained, and Gorman had known Eve Delacroix for many a year. She was the one who had predicted Rowan would be born. Predicted she would survive, unlike any other female born from a Son's line.

Now, the young girl, Gorman thought sympathetically, was being told that she was very likely the salvation of the Covenant itself. A White Lighter. Keeper of the Covenant. Such a long, sordid history Keepers had with the Covenant. Animosity, betrayal, hate.

The one time Eve had left the bayou to visit Rowan a week after she was born, the blind woman had seen a bright flash of white. She had told Evelyn and William that she would have powers, but not as the males in the line did. It was to Gorman she told the prophecy the first Keeper of the Covenant made just as he was being burned at the stake by the Sons of Ipswich.

"Checkmate," Rowan announced.

* * *

I'd still like to know what you guys think. :)


	6. The Keeper

**VI. The Keeper**

_Those who cannot remember the past  
__are condemned to repeat it.  
-George Santayana _

After their game of chess Rowan went into the basement of the Colony house. As she descended the stairs the candles lit up as she passed. A year ago she would have needed to utter a word to do this, but Nana said that the stronger she became just the thought of performing of the task would be enough. Thoughts are powerful, Nana had told her. She was right.

The basement was only warmed by the central fire in the middle of the room that encircled the short altar. Five seats backed by pillars of stone surrounded the altar. In the back were the shelves with old books. The core book was the Book of Damnation, filled with pages that recorded the births and deaths of the five families. Rowan carefully took the heavy tome down from the shelf and sat on one of the seats, balancing the hefty weight on her lap.

That's what this was all about, she knew. Bloodlines. The first Keeper of the Covenant was named Lucius, his surname unknown. The origin of the Keepers was just as much a mystery as how the Powers came to be. A Keeper's duties were to maintain the silence of the Covenant. Keep track of whom the Sons married and associated with; their friends and doings. Eventually they came to resent this. Lucius had been a fair man, only wanting to do right by his mission. The Power did not initially age them, but it was still addictive. Instead of consequences showing on the outside, it warped their minds. Lucius saw this. If they had continued to Use the way they were; society would suffer. He was going to bind Putnam's Power.

The Putnam son convinced the others that Lucius would eventually do the same to them if he was not stopped. The other Sons, loving their Power, agreed. Lucius had tried to reason with them in vain. He accepted his fate with dignity as they overpowered him, tied to him a stake and set the fire. The Sons never considered the fact that they would pay the price for murdering their Keeper. For a Son to do so, he would be condemning himself to damnation.

Lucius had said to them that they and their own sons would perish if their greed persisted. So he cursed them. The more you Use, the faster you will age. Becoming old, decrepit men before your time if you covet your Power more than life. And so Lucius died.

The Sons thought they were rid of Lucius, but as they continued to Use, already consumed by their Power, they aged, and they were dead within two years. They had damned their sons, and their son's sons. But Lucius was not the last of the Keepers. When one dies another is chosen. Lucius had had family living elsewhere. His younger brother then came, explaining who they were. But Titus, not as self-possessed as his brother, enforced the Laws.

As a Keeper he had a say in who the Sons married. If he did not find the woman suitable, he had the right to cast her out. If someone discovered their secret, a Keeper had the right to either kill them or erase the memory from their mind. If a Keeper thought that one of the Sons was being reckless, he had the right to either kill that Son or bind his Powers with impunity.

So began the war between Keepers and the Sons.

Eventually a female Keeper had the idea to take it upon herself to bridge the gap. A Danvers fell in love with her, and she became pregnant with a girl, the mother died in childbirth. In the still of the night, that baby was taken, likely by another Keeper. Danvers took another wife and had a son. Keepers had their own family tree. Their own book. The Book of Deliverance. That female child was scratched into that book with black ink, but lost to the world. The Keepers then disappeared, and the five families went on to found the Ipswich Colonies.

And as prophecies go, one arose. Because of the chaos a light would be born to mend the severed bond between Keepers and the Sons. Someone who did not covet power. Someone of a pure heart.

"Me," Rowan muttered in the dank basement as she paged through the book.

She wasn't sure she had a pure heart. She knew she didn't covet power. But the prophecy made this White Lighter out to be some sort of saint. Someone strong and brave. Rowan did not really consider herself those things. She really didn't know what to think. Nana had suspected she was the one for some time, but did not reveal her certainty until Rowan turned thirteen.

"Always such an auspicious age," she said to herself.

From the few things she knew about Lucius she thought it a shame that her ancestors had played a part in his demise. He had only been trying to help them. At least now she knew why the Sons aged the more they Used. Rowan hadn't told any of the guys of Nana's vision. What was the point? It wasn't set in stone yet. Nana told her when the time was right all would be revealed to her. All the secrets of the Keepers.

As she continued to flip through the book she came to the year when the Putnam line had ended. She knew the story of Goody Pope and her accusation. John Putnam had come to her as an incubus in her dreams. But…

"What the hell?" Rowan spoke aloud.

How normal was it for a baby to be overdue by a month? Because if John Putnam had impregnated her after she was widowed…and her son Hagen…that would mean…

But Rowan's path to conclusion was interrupted by her cell phone. It was Hunter. She told him that she was still at the Colony house, realizing that she'd been in the basement longer than she thought.

"I'm leaving now," she said.

Rowan replaced the book on the shelf, put out the fires and candles, said goodbye to Gorman, and headed home. Goody Pope and John Putnam out of her mind.

----

Caleb was home when Rowan got back looking a little tired. Hunter had already tended to Evelyn's morning hangover. Evelyn adored Hunter and in the recesses of her mind actually planned out her daughter's wedding more than once.

"Hi, Cay," Rowan said. "Have fun?"

Her brother got a puss on his face, but a smirk was twitching on his lips.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Rowan teased.

Caleb didn't ask her how their dad was doing. She knew her mother wouldn't ask either. Her dad's condition never changed, and if it did the change would mean his death. And Rowan didn't bring it up to them; the topic was far drearier for them than it was for her.

The three of them were in the kitchen now. Hunter and Caleb shuffled through the cupboards for food. Their ill attempts were just a silent plea for Rowan to make breakfast for them even though they had had a large one the previous morning.

"All right," she said. "Cay, get the eggs and milk. Hunter, get the Bisquick." She looked at Ernie and Bubbe who were at her feet. "Honestly, these guys are hopeless."

* * *

Hey, thanks for the increasing reviews. Means a lot. :)


	7. Anchor

A/N: Warning, this chapter is pretty mushy. Apologies.

**VII. Anchor**

_I know that I'll never be alone  
you will never let me go  
you are my anchor  
Hold my hand  
while I'm sinking in the sand  
No one else could understand__  
you are my anchor  
-Lifehouse_

The next couple of weeks were odd. Hunter was in a funk, which Rowan was used to, he got like that sometimes. He wasn't a naturally broody person so when this slump continued she got a little worried. Their relationship had always been a solid one. From the beginning they'd been completely comfortable with each other, and never held back in their affections, although they weren't the type to heavily make-out in public or be all over each other. Hunter never pressured her into doing anything, and Rowan was more than satisfied just holding hands or cuddling. People would say that they made a really cute couple, and Rowan's mother loved Hunter, and Hunter's mother loved Rowan.

This was why Hunter was so conflicted. It was two days before Thanksgiving break and Hunter was visiting with his mother and step-dad this holiday. He would have preferred hanging out with his uncles and cousins on his dad's side, but he had to keep up appearances for his mother. Rowan was supposed to go with him; she almost always stayed with him for a few days on long breaks to ease the tension in the household.

His family was a complicated one. He'd never met his dad because he'd died before he was born. Hunter's mom, Lorena, hadn't been married to Alexios "Alex" Mercer. Alexios had gone on a trip and never came back (a covert assignment Hunter would later learn). It was his older brother, Fabian Mercer, who had told Lorena about Hunter's dad's death. His dad hadn't gotten a chance to tell Lorena he was telekinetic and came from a long line of Shepherds for the supernatural community. People didn't really use that word anymore; Hunter's family mostly specialized in private security (supernatural and natural); the latter for appearance purposes. His Uncle Fabian worked for an agency that technically didn't exist, and his other uncle, Ian, was black ops.

Lorena found out she was pregnant three months after Hunter's dad died. Fabian didn't find out about Hunter until he was over a year old and had seen Lorena from a distance with a baby. He hadn't been sure the child was Alex's', but the kid did have his younger brother's jade green eyes. Also being a telekinetic, Fabian had gotten close enough to mentally pluck a strand of hair from Hunter's head, later confirming that the baby with Lorena was Alex's. From a distance, Lorena and her baby was watched by the Mercer family.

When Hunter was five Fabian approached Lorena to tell her about Hunter's roots. Lorena had already known that Hunter could move things with his mind although she'd been in a state of denial. Fabian and the Mercer family wanted to be a part of Hunter's lives, but Lorena had cast them out, refusing to believe that her son was what they were saying. So as not to make things complicated for Hunter, Fabian backed off but continued to keep an eye on Hunter. The older he got the more powerful his telekinesis would become, and if not properly handled could be extremely dangerous. So Hunter had grown up without the closeness of his family and believing he was a major freak. It wasn't until he met Rowan in the fifth grade when that changed.

Three months after school started she'd seen him move something, but hadn't said anything. He had approached her on the playground to see what she thought and the words that came out of her mouth were the last thing he was expecting.

"You're telekinetic. That's cool," Rowan said.

No one had said that word to him so affably before. He could never talk to his mom about it, and he took great pains to hide it from his step-dad when he'd married his mom at the age of five.

Rowan and Hunter had been inseparable ever since. And it wasn't long after that Fabian bypassed Lorena's wishes and insisted that he have visitation rights with his only nephew. Reid, Pogue, and Tyler were eventually told what Hunter was. Reid had been jealous.

So Hunter had come to find out that he wasn't a freak, and he'd had a whole family out there who understood him. He'd even gotten to know his father by listening to stories, looking at pictures and home videos. He had been royally pissed at his mom for keeping him away from them, and their relationship had been strained since.

Now, sitting in his single dorm room, Hunter stared at the ceiling. He was glad he had a single room. He wouldn't have been able to concentrate with some random roommate in his space. His room was half the size of a two-person, but still had the bathroom.

_So, anyway, how long have I known that I'm probably gay?_ Hunter asked himself acerbically.

Rowan was the first girl he'd ever felt anything for. So he wasn't all over her like most guys probably would be, but he was being considerate, right? Hunter loved Rowan more than anyone, and to have her not be in his life would be painful. So how could he hurt her? When he dreamed, he dreamed he was with other guys…usually. And out in public it was the guys who caught his attention, those double-takes you do when you see someone attractive. Not that Rowan wasn't attractive. She was beautiful, smart, funny. The least judgmental person he knew. He liked the complete trust he had with her.

Hunter also wondered how his uncle Fabian would take it. It was hard to hide secrets when your family was among the paranormal rates, but Hunter was pretty good at it. He didn't care what the kids would say at school, couldn't care less about them. But he needed a second opinion. This introspective thing wasn't going to hold with Rowan for much longer. She was going to get worried about him and face him head on like she would. Because he didn't keep much from her, anything really that he could think of. Just this.

Hunter sighed and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. He put on his boots, jacket, got his keys and left the room.

Five doors down, he knocked.

"One moment!" Pinkie's voice called.

Pinkie answered the door wearing a light gray button-down shirt; a pink and green checked sweater vest, jeans, and neon pink Chuck's.

"You want coffee?" Hunter asked.

Pinkie had his own room, too. Most guys at this school probably wouldn't feel comfortable rooming with an openly gay student, not that Pinkie was the only one at Spensers. But Philip Pinkus had no patience for the repressed.

"Going out for coffee?" Pinkie asked. Honestly, he'd been surprised to find that Hunter had had no problem with gay people. He'd staunchly defended Pinkie one day in the sixth grade with one of his karate moves.

"Yeah," he replied. "Wear a thick jacket."

Pinkie pursed his lips. They were out in the school parking lot; Hunter got on his bike, handed Pinkie the spare helmet. He looked at it as if it were a foreign object.

"My hair…" Pinkie said, distressed.

Hunter rolled his eyes. "Put it on, Pinks."

Pinkie did so with great care, and got on behind Hunter. He wasn't really a motorcycle person, but it was a nice experience nonetheless. His legs felt wobbly when he got off the bike in the parking lot of Bean's, a local coffee shop. Pinkie checked his hair in the window, trying to get some of the bounce back.

Inside, Pinkie told Hunter what drink he preferred, Hunter ordered and with their drinks in hand they took a seat near the back. Pinkie somewhat daintily put his condiments into his drink and stirred it specifically counter-clockwise.

Hunter just held the cup between his hands, wondering how he should start. Pinkie was unusually quiet, because the boy could chatter like nobody's business. Hunter wanted to make sure that no one would overhear their conversation which was why he'd taken Pinkie out of Spensers. Rowan was right, the walls talked, and the corridors whispered, and it was damn near impossible to keep a secret there for long.

"When did you know you were gay, Pinkie?" Hunter asked, looking down at the table.

Pinkie's eyebrows rose, but to his credit he didn't spit or choke on his coffee in surprise. He cleared his throat. "Well, I didn't know the word 'gay' when I was four, but I suspected I was different when my older brother Malcolm was playing with G.I. Joes and I was trying on my mother's pumps."

Hunter snickered low in throat. He had never tried on his mother pumps.

"But you've probably never tried on your mom's pumps," Pinkie said pointedly.

"No, I never did that." He took a sip of his coffee, letting it burn his tongue and the back of his throat.

"So…" Pinkie said. "I always did get that vibe from you."

"What vibe?"

"You know what vibe. That's why you asked me here."

Hunter could have tried to deny it, but what was the point in that.

"I don't think Rowan's completely oblivious to it either," Pinkie pointed out.

And Hunter's green eyes snapped at Pinkie. Not in anger, but in a near semblance of panic. Pinkie was more perceptive than Hunter had given him credit for.

"I mean, come on," he continued. "The two of you make, like, _the_ cutest couple in history. But you don't totally suck face in public, or grope one another. In fact, you guys are, like, affectionate in every way but the sexual aspect of a relationship. For some people. And if I were straight, I'd be all over Rowan like white on rice. Because nobody is _that_ considerate." Pinkie looked pointedly at Hunter.

Hunter was at a loss for words. He ran his hand down his face and leaned back in his chair, near defeated. Pinkie felt for him, it wasn't easy worrying whether or not you'd lose the people you cared about most if they couldn't accept you.

"I don't want to hurt her," Hunter said.

"Well, if it's any consolation, she never tries to hang all over you either. You both seem totally comfortable without the…" His wrist did a rotation movement to indicate the words he didn't speak. "You know."

Hunter smirked. "Yeah."

They let some silence past. Then: "So, are you going to tell her?"

The strain came back to Hunter's face.

"If anything, it's not fair to her to keep this going," Pinkie said gently.

"I love her," he said plainly.

"You can love someone just as much whether it's romantic or platonic. Even friendship has passion."

Hunter nodded. "Yeah." He sighed. "Yeah."

And Pinkie always one for keeping moods bright, said, "I commend you for emerging from the closet, Hunter." He reached over and patted his hand. "If I weren't who I am I would have been shocked to death that you're gay. There is nothing remotely effeminate about you." His brown eyes gave Hunter a quick once over. "Nope, nothing."

"Thanks, I think."

"Well, my friend. Life sure is easier once you figure out if you're the pin or the cushion, right?"

"Christ, Pinks," Hunter laughed.

"Thank you, I'm here all day."

----

Rowan was polishing her nails when Hunter called. Her nails were perhaps her one vanity. She was in the hospital when a candy striper had filed and buffed her nails for the first time, giving her manicure tips the whole time. Since then Rowan kept it up. And the color nail polish she applied rarely matched with what she was wearing.

"Hey," Rowan answered.

"Hey. I need to talk to you."

His voice sounded funny to Rowan but she wouldn't ask him what was wrong over the phone. She told him to come over and hung up. Fifteen minutes later he was in her room looking somber. She sat cross-legged on her bed, back against the headboard; Hunter sat close to her on the side of the bed. His forearms rested on his knees and his head hung like he hadn't the strength to hold it up.

"I love you. You know that, right?" He finally said, green eyes flickering to her.

She nodded. "I know that."

A moment or two passed before he put his head in his hands and said clearly, just enough so Rowan could hear, "Fuck, I think I'm gay, Rowan."

The silence was palpable. Ernie yawned and turned over in his dog bed, causing Bubbe to stir because she then had to resituate herself.

"Ah," Rowan said as if he had brought everything to light. She moved so she was sitting next to him. "Well, okay."

"Okay?" Hunter echoed. "That's it?"

"No, that's not it. I mean, I always kind of thought…it crossed my mind, like, once. Because you're not like other boyfriends I see acting with their girlfriends." She stood up and paced a little in front of him, tugging on her earlobe. "I thought when we got older the physical stuff was supposed to get more intense or something, but when it didn't, I just thought that I was a bad kisser, or maybe you might not be interested in me that way."

She wasn't as calm as she appeared. This was a little jarring. High school was hard enough without another change.

"I guess you're not interested in me that way," Rowan said.

"That doesn't mean I love you less," he insisted. "You're my best friend."

Rowan nodded.

"Row, I love being with you. I don't want how we are with each other to change. Ya know?"

Rowan bit back tears. She didn't want that to change either. That's what she was afraid of.

"Please don't be mad at me."

"I'm not," she said. "I just don't want us to change either."

"Come here." He tugged her wrist and pulled her onto his lap, and she rested her head against his. Completely comfortable, no tension. This was them. It was still them. "I could have waited to say something. But it's not fair to you. Some guy might come along and be to you how a boyfriend should be."

Rowan 'hmmphed' disbelievingly.

"Not that he'll love you better than me, of course," Hunter added whimsically.

"He'll just love me differently?"

"Yeah." He moved his head so he could look at her. "And you are a good kisser."

Rowan laughed, which was what he had wanted. "Back at ya. You'll make some guy real happy one day."

Hunter smiled. "Sure."

"You know…our moms are going to be pretty disappointed. Not unless you don't want anyone to know yet. The kids at school…"

"I don't care what they think. I'm not even that worried about what my mom might think."

"Just your uncles and cousins?"

"Yeah, a little. I was mostly worried about you though. I think I could take anyone's rejection but yours."

Rowan wrapped her arms tighter around him and kissed him on his forehead. "No worries here. Maybe it'll casually come out, no pun intended, when we go to your moms for Thanksgiving."

"She'll want to keep it quiet," Hunter said somewhat acerbically.

"Hmm. She'll deal."

"Rowan, is that Hunter?" Evelyn called.

Rowan and Hunter looked at one another.

"Let's get it over with," Hunter said.

* * *

I don't know if Hunter being gay came from left field or not, but I always had that intention for him, it wasn't a convenient plot device I had to free up Rowan for Reid. I meant to give hints of it from the previous chapters but I got wrapped up in the other stuff, so I apologize if this detour is kind of wonky. I'd like to know what you all think of it though. :)


	8. All that I'm Living For

**VIII. All that I'm Living For**

_All that I'm living for  
All that I'm dying for  
All that I can't ignore alone at night  
__All that I'm wanted for  
Make me understand the lesson  
so I'll find myself  
__So I won't be lost again  
-Evanescence_

Rowan was half-reclined in her big bed, the covers up to her waist. It was blustering snow outside and the ground was white. Here she was sick in bed, having had passed out in the hallway of Spensers two days ago. She should have heeded the ringing in her ears when she'd woken up that morning, but other than that, feeling fine, she'd gone about her day as usual. Then her fever spiked in the middle of English Lit. and the bell rang and she was leaving class, the ringing in her ears louder, her head feeling like it was about to explode, and that was the last thing she remembered until she woke up in the nurse's. It wasn't anything new to Rowan. She got a good sick-bed thing going at least once a year. She wished she hadn't done a face-dive in the middle of the hallway though. An hour later she was at home, the fever not rising but she could feel the sickness sapping her strength. She hated taking pharmaceutical medicines and preferred her homeopathic remedies, so Evelyn had made her some chamomile tea and Rowan was out like a light.

Hunter and her brothers came to visit her like she was on her death bed. But that was the way it always was; someone tip-toeing around her when she was ill like she was going to bite the big one any second. Somber faces with almost forced affability. One got used to it.

And yesterday had been her fourteenth birthday, no party. She hadn't had an actual birthday party since the seventh grade which was fine with her. Big parties weren't Rowan's thing. Who was she going to invite anyway? Half of the freshmen class at Spensers? Not likely. She couldn't wait to get away when the final bell rang, so inviting some of Spensers back to her house was no good.

Now, the bed jostled when Ernie jumped on it, then Bubbe who curled up on the right side's pillow like a queen. Ernie did his doggy-turns, once clockwise, twice counter-clockwise, half clockwise, then he finally plopped himself down with an exhalation of air, licked his chops, and settled. Rowan's room was a fairly big one. The walls were painted a royal blue, but it was mostly obscured by the shelves of books and various paraphernalia hanging on her wall. Pictures of friends and family, a painting of "Dogs Playing Poker", other posters of animals; her computer desk was near one of the windows, her shelf of home-DVDs categorized by date. There were shelves of knick-knacks, shaped like animals, yes. And the ashes of Tyler (the guinea pig) were on a stand shelf by the window because he'd loved the sun. The carpet was a black and white vortex pattern, and the trunk at the end of her bed held all her journals that she kept along with the separate folders she made for every ghost she'd encountered.

Anyway, what had her attention now was the piece of crinkly notebook paper in her hand. She got it out every now and again to scan the list. She'd made it after she'd almost drowned and died when she was seven. That had been the first time she'd been taken in the Gray Lands, as Rowan had dubbed it. It was that cold place between this life and the next. There was no color, hence the gray. Not a nice place. But even now Rowan couldn't help but think about it. It was when she was forced to see the more ugly side of the afterlife. Up until that point she had only conversed with ghosts, they would tell her how they died, but they'd never taken her to the Gray Lands to show her. Not so with Debra, an accused witch. The irony was sickening.

It was her first year at camp, the one that Cay, Tyler, Pogue and Reid had been going to. Everyday she was homesick for Ernie, Bubbe and Tyler. The two weeks had been the longest she'd been away from them and vice versa. She would call home everyday to ask about them and each time her parents would assure her that they were doing fine, even though they missed her. Rowan wanted to come home, she didn't like camp. Hadn't wanted to go in the first place, but her mom thought she was getting too attached to the animals or something and needed to socialize with another species. Not Evelyn's words by a long shot; but that was what Rowan understood from her forced exile.

It had been a particularly hot day, and Rowan hadn't liked water to begin with so she was on the periphery of the lake in her shorts and one-piece bathing suit while the other kids were having a merry time splashing away in the water where the bottom wasn't even visible. Rowan had read in a book that a certain weight of water could crush you, and who knew how deep that lake was, so she wasn't risking anything by going swimming. Rowan was sitting under a tree, and she remembered she felt like she was falling asleep, her eyes closed for a second, but when she opened them all the color was leeched from her surroundings, and it didn't look like Camp Iwanahee anymore. Of course, she knew that this camp had been a site for some witch trials, she'd read about it, and telling her parents still hadn't stopped them from sending her here.

Close to her was a gaggle of people staring judgmentally, eyes sparking with fiery condemnation. Two men were shoving a young woman into a barrel, she wasn't going quietly. Her screams caused Rowan to clamp her hands over her ears, but the woman's screaming only stopped when her pupil-dilated eyes landed on Rowan. She screamed for help, and it was like Rowan was pulled to her, into the barrel with her to experience personally the injustice done to this innocent human being. Darkness enclosed Rowan, she was being rolled, and then there was the splash of water and they were sinking, sinking, sinking. And it was cold. Rowan was screaming now, fists banging on the wooden barrel. Water was seeping in, and she kicked, her eyes shut and when she opened them she wasn't in the barrel anymore but still in the water, sinking, sinking, sinking. It was like someone was shining a flashlight down there otherwise it would have been black as pitch. It was like she was being tugged, and the harder Rowan struggled the stronger the grasp of whatever had her became. Then she saw the woman again, beneath her, bony hand clamped around Rowan's thin ankle. The woman looked up at her and Rowan saw Death.

What the outside saw was Rowan sitting by the tree, but she wasn't being watched closely and she'd wandered down the lake. She could make herself so invisible the lifeguards and counselors insisted. It had been another camper who'd idly watched Rowan walk into the water, calm as you please, dunk herself underneath and not come up…on her own anyway. The kid had gotten help and Rowan was hurriedly fished out of the lake, CPR was administered. Her brothers had come running, Reid, in his nine years of age, was cursing a blue streak about how they had better save her or else.

When Rowan coughed up that lake water, and her eyes opened, the collective breath of tension let go, although she wasn't out of harm's way yet. Her lips, ears, toes, and fingers were blue and she was shivering near to convulsing. She was rushed to the hospital and treated for severe hypothermia. She was able to leave the hospital three weeks later. The doctor wanted her to undergo a psychiatric evaluation, but Rowan's parents were afraid she might say something about the Gray Lands. Her dad had known what she was talking about, and when he'd told Evelyn she had almost gone nuclear. So they brought Rowan home and nursed her, Rowan told them what she had seen, but since then she'd had a phobia of water. She wouldn't take baths anymore, wouldn't go within twenty feet of a large body of water for years.

That was when she had made the list. "Things I Want to do Before I'm 18." What she meant was: things I want to do before I die.

"Eighteen is an auspicious age," Rowan said to herself.

"Talking to yourself?"

Rowan looked to her door and Reid was standing there kind of smiling at her. You would have to know Reid to be able to see the worry in his eyes. Reid may be a good liar, but he had a horrible poker face.

Rowan smiled at him. Reid slipped his shoes off and lay next to her on the bed. Disturbing Bubbe who would have been further annoyed had Reid not taken her and put her on his lap and given her a good ear scratch. Ernie, unflappable, tolerated the movement with his droll-eyed magnanimity.

"How many things you got left on there?" Reid asked.

The paper was worn from being handled so many times. It was seven years old, after all. The penmanship was written with Rowan's neat hand. Some things had checks by them, some misspelled words had been erased and rewritten with a more mature scrawl as Rowan got older.

Rock climbing (check)  
Bungee jumping (check)  
Go sky-diving  
Visit the Great Wall of China  
Visit the Sphinx and Pyramids of Giza  
Have my first kiss (check)  
Feed an orca (check)  
Feed a dolphin (check)  
See the sea lions in San Francisco  
Go spelunking  
Go on a safari  
Attend Alaska's Iditarod sled dog race  
Fly a plane  
Climb Mt. Everest  
Visit Delphi

"I might have to give up Everest," Rowan said. "That was probably a bit out of my league to begin with." She was silent for a moment. "I haven't done much."

To Reid, she sounded sad. It was a thin line between tired and sad with Rowan, but he knew her, and this was sad. He wasn't going to tell her that she still had time, because that made it sound like she had some sort of expiration date. He didn't particularly like this curdle of fear he got when he thought of her not being here. When he heard she'd passed out in the hallway he'd been in class, and he'd bolted, along with Tyler, against the teacher's protestations. Maybe it was an overreaction, maybe not. But Tyler was more level-headed than him and Baby Boy hadn't hesitated in hauling ass out of the classroom. When they'd gotten to the nurse's office, Pogue, Caleb and Hunter were already there, and the faculty was looking perturbed at the slight crowd. Rowan was already awake and trying to make light of situation, as she always did.

"I still can't believe you went bungee jumping," Reid finally said.

Rowan smiled. "You, the spontaneous, devil-may-care, who jumps off of the cliffs at the Dells, shakes his head at bungee jumping."

"Yeah, but my survival isn't dependent on if the cords and whatever are put on right. If you wanted to jump from a high place, I'd have taken you. And you wouldn't have had to worry about getting hurt or anything."

"I wasn't worried."

"That's not the point, Row," he said, his blue eyes insistent. "What I mean is that you getting hurt wouldn't even be in the realm of possibility."

"All right. Next time I want to jump from a high place I'll take you with me."

"I'll hold you to that."

"Besides, you already made good on one of these," she said, referring to the list.

Reid smiled wide. "Hell yeah I did."

And Rowan laughed even though it hurt her chest to do so. Reid had been her first kiss. When he had gone to see her after camp she'd been mulling over what else to put on the piece of paper, Reid asked her what she was doing and she told him and he asked if he could read it. His lips moved as he read, creating a s_wishy_ sort of sound. Then his face went still, then his nose scrunched, and big blue eyes looked at her liked she'd gone bonkers.

"Get kissed?" Reid asked. "By who? Who do you want to kiss you?"

Rowan had been taken aback by the vehemence of his voice.

"Not just any boy can kiss you, Rowan," Reid had insisted.

"I don't know who, Reid," Rowan interrupted.

He stared at her for a minute longer. "Okay. I will. Just tell me when. It's better if it's someone you know."

Her eyebrows had risen off her forehead by then. "You…you would kiss me?" she asked, disbelievingly.

"Well…yeah," Reid said as if it were obvious.

"But I'm not…"

"Not what?"

"Pretty," she blurted.

He cocked his head to the side, once again as if she were speaking gibberish. "You're the prettiest girl I know." And the tips of his ears turned red then, which was a sign of embarrassment or anger with Reid, and he wasn't angry. But he went on, "And who said you weren't pretty? I'll punch his lights out!"

Now: "Still the prettiest girl I know," Reid said, head back against the pillows, turned to the side looking at her profile.

Rowan smiled ruefully and shook her head. "Yeah. Whatever."

"And single for the first time in two years."

He had been reeling when he'd been told Hunter was gay. There had been a collective silence at first, them all in Rowan's sanctum sanctorum, Rowan looking at them sternly, arms crossed over her chest. Then Pogue had blurted: "Hell, nothing but love for you, bro." Then those guy-hugs went all around, lots of back thumping and what not.

"I wonder if there's ever been a gay guy in the Covenant," Reid pondered humorously. Then he'd been pummeled by fists and a chorus of 'shut ups'.

"Yeah, single and ready to mingle," she said dryly.

"How many assholes are we going to have to fight off now?" Reid wondered. _No, seriously, how many,_ he asked himself. Aaron was always checking Rowan out, and once that dickhead got used to the fact that Rowan was single, he would move in. Not that Rowan would reciprocate. But still. Rowan was too good for him.

"Yeah, guys are lined up at my door," she continued the sarcastic commentary. She folded up the piece of paper and put it back in her nightstand next to her bed. She was getting tired and shifted in bed to make herself comfortable.

"You need anything?" he asked.

"No, thanks," she said, rolling onto her side, eyes closing.

Reid listened to her breathe for a few minutes, then found himself saying quietly, "You know I love you, right?"

"I love you, too, Reid." She opened her eyes. "I'm not going anywhere," she added, as if knowing what else had been flicking through his mind, knowing he needed to hear the words.

So he lay there as she drifted off, thinking how beautiful she was and how much he liked being here beside her. And how he would kick Aaron Abbot's ass if he so much as touched her. And how now that she was single he could probably tell her that he was in love with her, but knowing he still wasn't there yet, knowing he'd fuck it up if he was in a relationship, but knowing that some good guy might come along and swoop her away in the meantime. Frankly, he was a little pissed at Hunter, because at least Reid had trusted him, knowing him for so long and him being like a brother; but now he'd have to watch some new guy like a hawk, order a background check or something.

_I don't know,_ he thought. _Rowan probably won't date anyone for a while anyway._ _Doesn't mean she won't be interested in somebody, eventually. At least she's not guy-crazy like most of the girls at Spensers. Not like the girls who come after me. Shallower than wading pools, attention spans the size of peanuts unless we're fooling around, then they buckle down. They're not all as horrible as I'm making them sound. But I never feel anything further than, maybe, friendship for them. I've tried to, just to see if my love for Rowan wasn't coming from the fact that I've known her since she was born. But it isn't like that. I can try to talk to some of these chicks at school but it's like they're not hearing me. They always want something, or they cling, some of them throw things. That's a big-fucking-no with me. I hate it when chicks throw things and get all PMS super-bitch on me… _

Reid fell asleep too.

----

Evelyn was just going to Rowan's bedroom to give her another cup of tea only to find that her baby girl was asleep, Reid beside her, Bubbe curled up on his chest. Ernie was between Reid and Rowan. She sighed softly, seeing her daughter in slumberous repose. Evelyn worried about Rowan as much as she did Caleb but in a different way. With Caleb she dreaded his Ascension and what would happen afterwards; with Rowan she worried when her next fever would come, how bad it would get. She worried that her cancer might come out of remission, that her heart murmur would become worse. Evelyn Danvers had been surprised to discover she was pregnant for a second time, and speechless when the sonogram revealed that the baby inside of her was a girl. William had been stupefied.

"That's not possible," he'd blurted in front of the technician. "Check again, please."

The sonogram technician did, assuring both of them that it was indeed a girl on the screen. They'd gone home and told Caleb that he was going to have a little sister. The rest of the families had celebrated with them. A female born to one of the Sons? They all wanted to see the ultrasound print out for confirmation. It had been such a happy day. And the pregnancy had gone fairly smooth, Rowan was born on time but she was still a small baby. She had slept a lot, barely a peep, then she had gotten sick. Taken to the doctors, Evelyn's heart had nearly broken when she was told that Rowan had leukemia. She had watched her daughter undergo various medical treatments, watched her hair fall out, watched her small body bloat. Then cancer went into remission, and she could almost breathe again.

To the four families, Rowan was a bit of a miracle.

The four younger sons doted on her, protected her, loved her. It gave them a sense of responsibility that they otherwise would not have had without Rowan.

Evelyn did not even mind so much that her daughter had her own sort of power. Eve Delacroix had assured her that Rowan would not have the same onus as Caleb. Rowan mostly dabbled in herb lore anyway. And when she was younger Evelyn worried that her daughter was too attached to animals and would in the future have a negative impact with people, but as she got older she began to see that it wasn't Rowan who was having trouble reaching out to people, it was others who had the problem reaching back to Rowan. And Rowan's first boyfriend, Hunter.

Ah, but he's gay. Evelyn had laughed initially, then given Hunter a kiss on the cheek. Not to say that she wasn't disappointed that this young man would not be the one whom Rowan would share her life with. She had expected Rowan to be more thrown by Hunter, but like most things, Rowan had taken it in stride. Accepting every bit of Hunter no matter who or what he was.

Evelyn sighed again, the cup of tea in her hand becoming tepid as she stood in the doorway. She turned away then as she heard the front door opening. She looked regal as she descended the stairs. Caleb, Pogue, Tyler and Hunter were shucking off their heavy jackets, taking off their boots.

"She's sleeping," Evelyn told them. "Reid as well."

"Hello, Mother," Caleb said, kissing her on the cheek. He was glad to see her sober. And as much as he hoped, he knew once Rowan was back on her feet his mother would most likely start drinking herself to bed again.

But he could enjoy now, couldn't he?

* * *

Sorry if the plot seems to be lagging. This is going somewhere. I'm just kind of caught in the explanation phase, because Rowan doesn't actually come "into being" until their senior year in high school. I guess that's why I made it a half-romance, half-supernatural kind of thing. Anywho, and freshman year is half over. Let me know what you think if you've got a spare moment. :)


	9. Black Christmas

So far this story has 820 hits, thanks for those who're reading. :) Comments are always appreciated.

**IX. Black Christmas**

_By the pricking of my thumbs__  
something wicked this way comes.  
-Macbeth_

Rowan was getting ready for bed when her cell phone rang. The caller ID said it was Dizzy. Maria Esmeralda Velasquez was from Napa, California, but was attending Spensers Academy. She and Rowan had become pretty good friends. Maria was a cheerleader but didn't seem to care about Spensers' caste system. Rowan had given her ample warning that associating with her probably wouldn't get her to the higher echelons of Spensers, but Maria hadn't cared. Maria had been dubbed Dizzy for short or Diz for shorter because of her penchant for rapid-fire talk and her swift segues into another subject before she'd finished with the previous one. She was tall with big brown eyes, thick dark hair, and flawless brown skin.

"Hello," Rowan answered.

"Oh my God, guess what!" Maria squealed.

Rowan held the phone away from her ear. Before she could guess, Maria went on:

"David gave me a ring!" There was more squealing.

Rowan was happy for her. "An engagement ring?"

"Oh, I wish!" Maria said. "No, but, like, a promise ring. How romantic is that? It was supposed to be a Christmas present, but he didn't want to wait."

Maria was back in Napa for Christmas break. Rowan was in New Orleans with Nana, but she would be back in Ipswich for Christmas day, two days away. She always took Ernie and Bubbe with her. They liked to run around the bayou that Nana lived around. She hadn't left the bayou in over fifteen years, she was getting old. Her granddaughter Roz Grayraven, a priestess of the voodoo, and her twin sons, Michael and Gabriel Grayraven, lived with Nana. Michael and Gabriel were eighteen years old and would graduate from high school in June. They were like another pair of brothers to Rowan. They had their own powers, as bokors or sorcerers of the voodoo religion they could practice both dark and benevolent magic.

"My present for David seems dinky compared to his," Maria said.

"He'll like it anyway," Rowan told her.

"Oh, I hope so," Maria pined.

Rowan listened as Maria waxed on about her vacation. She liked Maria and even though people automatically assumed that she was some superficial ditz, there was a lot more than that. Maria was an artist, and had tons of sketch books and had won awards for her art. And for Rowan's birthday had drawn a picture of Ernie and Bubbe and framed it. Tyler had arranged a sitting for Maria and the two animals. It was painfully obvious that Tyler was smitten with Maria, but Maria, though a chatty inadvertent flirt was very committed to David.

An hour later the two friends said goodbye and Rowan turned the lights out and got into bed. The window was open a crack and if she could hear the whispering of the oak and cypress trees, and if she listened even harder she could hear the water rippling in the bayou. Her visit here divulged more information on her Keeper status. Rowan still hadn't told anyone about it, it still seemed unreal to her. She didn't even know if she could be a good Keeper. True she had always taken care of Cay and the others as best she could, but Keepers went way back, and they didn't have a very happy history. Mostly fire and brimstone.

Despite that, Rowan was glad to get away from Ipswich and Spensers. Everyday at school she could feel it sapping something from her insides, and that weight on her shoulders she had felt on the first day of school only alleviated when she wasn't there. She sort of felt that it was changing everyone. Reid was more self-absorbed and capricious, the girls he "dated" were borderline vile, and Rowan always gave herself a chance to see the good in people, but sometimes she just felt plain numb when she met the girls he went out with. Rowan didn't miss the poisonous looks they sent her either, she knew they talked about her behind her back. Caleb was kind off seeing the same girl, Allison. Rowan thought she was shallow too; she hated Ernie and Bubbe, which was an automatic point loss as far as Rowan was concerned. Pogue and Tyler were doing okay even though Tyler got sucked in Reid's vortex of easy girls sometimes.

Spensers wasn't all bad. There were nice people there, Hunter, Maria, Pinkie, Toby, even though the latter was a ghost and had more substance than Rowan could give others credit for.

----

"Hey, look who's up," Gabriel crowed.

"_Pischouette_ not sleep well?" Michael asked.

Rowan raised her eyebrows at that and shrugged. She'd slept like a log.

"We heard you calling out or something," Gabe told her.

"Oh," she said while she fed Ernie and Bubbe. Whatever she dreamt she couldn't remember.

The twins exchanged glances. They knew Rowan was transitioning into those higher levels of magic. They both had been in training as voodoo sorcerers since they were born, and sometimes it could get heavy. Gabriel and Michael were tall with dark hair, dark eyes, and olive skin due to their French father. Michael was two minutes older, the more cynical, grumbly twin, while Gabriel was more affable, buffering his twin's sometimes acerbic demeanor.

"_Mais_, you leave tomorrow, we goin' to have to do it up right," Michael said.

"Michael, what have I said about speaking like that?" Roz interjected, coming into the kitchen. Her braids were pulled back into a ponytail and her ensemble was bright despite the cloudy day.

"You leave tomorrow, we will have to do it up right," Michael enunciated. Michael had a tendency to slip into Cajun slang.

"_Bien, Michel_," Roz said, using the French pronunciation of his name, which he hated.

Gabriel snickered.

"_Mais, oui_," Rowan replied. "_Laissez les bons temps rouler_."

So they had a big dinner that night, just the five of them. Traditional Southern cooking as Michael called it. None of that light Yankee stuff, he would say. Nana had sat at the head of the table, the matriarch of the household. Despite her small size, she had a larger-than-life presence that commanded respect and deference. Even Ernie and Bubbe sensed it and were never unruly when around Nana.

After dinner Nana and Rowan went out on the veranda. Rowan put a blanket over Nana's lap. Bubbe jumped on the old woman's lap, and Ernie sat at her feet.

"Maybe I could just stay here," Rowan blurted.

Nana smiled. "No, you have to go back," she replied.

"I don't see them needing me," Rowan said.

"They need you every day," Nana told her wisely.

"Everything's…frayed." Rowan grappled for the right words. She hadn't really spoken aloud all her misgivings. "It's like they're changing or something. I'm not saying it right." Quieter: "I hate that school. It makes me sick just being there, Nana."

"Is it the school that bothers you, or what it is doing to your brothers?"

Rowan was silent for a moment. "I could deal with the school better if I didn't think they were getting caught up in it. I mean, I don't want them to be unhappy, and deep down I know their love hasn't changed but sometimes I just want to take them out of there."

"Without you do you think it would be worse?" Nana asked.

She sighed. "Nana, I honestly don't think I'm as important to them as you make it seem. I know they love me, but I think they would survive just fine without me. I wouldn't be gone, I just wouldn't be at Spensers with them."

"Hmm," Nana said softly, the breeze carrying her sound of ambiguity into the night. The old lady had seen many things. The brothers' lives without Rowan. The future can change. And the times Rowan had hovered over death, Nana would see what it would be like for the boys.

Reid a callous, hateful young man who would break away from his brothers and mire himself in self-destruction; drugs, sex, wild and dangerous abandon. For the rest of his life he would wonder if life would have been different if Rowan were alive. Reid would die alone, unhappy, and young, though looking like an old man. This one definitely needs Rowan, Nana had thought.

Caleb would be stuck caring for his alcoholic mother while his father lingered in his own limbo at the Colony house. Caleb would forever miss his little sister, a pain that would never leave him. He would struggle ceaselessly to control his Power once he Ascended, and he would fervently wish that Rowan were still here to brighten his days and take his mind off of his woes. He would always be lonely.

Pogue would be more introverted. Cynical, pessimistic. Never setting roots, always on the go. Alone.

Tyler would be even less sure of himself without the quiet confidence that Rowan gave him. A deep silence of grief would overwhelm him, and he would die young.

The bonds between them weakened. All lost faith.

"Am I wrong?" Rowan asked after a while.

"How could you think you are not essential to their happiness?"

One shoulder lifted unaccompanied by an answer. "Maybe the school is changing me, too," Rowan said. "Just in a different way."

"And what will you do?" And Nana looked at her, _at_ her, as if she could see Rowan, down to her very soul.

"I…don't know yet," Rowan said.

"That is fine, Rowan. It takes time to find a way. It takes time."

----

Ernie and Bubbe bolted through the front door of the Danvers estate happy to be home. Evelyn followed behind her daughter into the warmth of their mansion. "Glad to have you back, baby," she said, and went to be alone. "Gabriel make yourself at home."

It was to Rowan's surprise that Gabriel accompanied her to Ipswich. He'd been here a few times, but always in the summer.

"Hey, lil bit," Pogue greeted her. He gave her a hug. She could be forty and still not shake that nickname.

"Hi Pogue. You remember Gabriel, don't you?"

"Ah, yeah," Pogue said, recognition sweeping over his face. The last time he'd seen Gabe was three years ago. "Where's the twin?"

"He refused to come up North during the winter," Gabe replied wryly.

"Something about evil Yankees," Rowan added.

Tyler, Reid, and Caleb greeted Gabriel, though Reid was a bit standoffish, glancing at the guy suspiciously. Gabriel just smirked amiably.

"Who's here?" Rowan asked.

"Allison," Caleb said.

Rowan nodded just as said person came into the foyer.

"Hi," Allison said. She was about five-five with long light brown hair and fair complexion, a bit on the twiggy side. She wore designer clothes, and a pearl necklace and a gold bracelet. Right now she was dressed in an off-white cashmere sweater, skinny jeans and brown boots.

"Hi," Rowan replied. Awkward she knew. Rowan watched Allison eyeing Ernie and Bubbe, but the two animals weren't inclined to go near her anyway.

"Allison, this is Gabriel, an old family friend," Caleb said.

"Nice to meet you," Gabe said, and Allison smiled at his exotic accent.

"Nice to meet you, too. Are you French?" she asked.

"Partly."

"I'm going to go unpack and show Gabe his room," Rowan said, snatching up her backpack and suitcase. "Don't mind us."

Caleb wanted to ask her how her trip went but was a bit divided between Allison and Rowan. But Rowan was giving him unspoken permission to tend to his guest. He and Allison had been casually dating for only a couple of months, and he didn't know exactly where it was going. He knew Rowan wasn't especially taken with Allison, but Rowan would never be rude out of love for Caleb. Maybe if they spent more time together they'd get to like each other.

"Hunter's not here, but he'll be back in time for New Years," Rowan was telling Gabriel as they headed upstairs. Gabe hadn't been too surprised when Rowan had told him she and Hunter weren't dating anymore because he was gay. And Gabe, being gay himself, understood Hunter's reticence in having kept it a secret.

Rowan put him in a room down the hall from hers. She opened the curtains to let some light in. "You hungry?"

"_Oui_, I could eat, _pischouette_."

Rowan rolled her eyes. "Lil bit, _pischouette_…"

She left to let Gabriel rest. Rowan fed Ernie and Bubbe then went to her room. Reid was in there, sitting on her bed.

"Just can't stay away from me, huh?" she asked.

"Nope," Reid said, smiling. "Give me another hug."

Rowan acted put upon but she gave him a hug anyway, Reid lifting her partially off the floor in the process. She told him about her trip while she unpacked… Reid watched her face light up whenever she talked about Nana and the bayou. Seeing it now, he realized that he couldn't remember the last time her smile had reached her eyes like this. It was momentarily disconcerting, making him feel disconnected like he'd been somewhere else and had missed something so important that there was no second chance to learn it. And if this were the movies, something bad would have to happen for him to finally see what it was he missed.

----

Rowan whipped up some of her famous homemade chili, and they all sat in the kitchen talking and eating. Even Allison thought the food was good.

"And don't you dare let Ernie lick your bowl, Reid," Rowan said.

Ernie and Bubbe were hovering at the periphery of the room, waiting for someone to drop something.

"Hey, that was an accident," Reid protested.

Rowan scoffed. "Yeah, well if it happens again Ernie is sleeping wherever you are and you can listen to his midnight acoustics, okay?"

Ernie barked knowing he was being talked about.

"Ew," Allison said, her nose scrunched up.

"That was my point," Rowan said.

Wanting to change the subject and interested in this scruffy foreigner, Allison asked, "So, Gabriel, do you speak French fluently?"

"_Oui_," he replied with a wink which made her giggle.

Rowan saw Caleb's face flush and jaw harden, and she smiled discreetly in her bowl. Tyler looked at her and she shook her head slightly to let him know that all would be well. Reid saw the exchange and became perturbed.

"You have a girl back home?" Reid asked.

"No, I just got out of a relationship."

"Oh, that's too bad," Allison commiserated. "Breakups are hard."

Gabe nodded.

"But I suppose it's her loss, right?" she went on. "It makes me grateful that I have Caleb." And she smiled at him adoringly putting her hand on his forearm. Then she turned back to Gabriel. "You know, while you're here, I could introduce you to some of my girlfriends."

"Ah…" Gabe said. He put down his spoon and leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest which made the muscles of his arms bulge. It did not go unnoticed by Allison.

By now even Pogue was stifling a grin at Caleb's harangued expression. He was usually so affable that seeing his best friend look so out of sorts was slightly amusing.

"I don't think Gabe is ready for that yet," Rowan spoke up, putting a comforting hand on Gabe's shoulder.

"_C'est vrai_," Gabriel concurred.

"Why'd you two break up?" Reid interjected. "Too much woman for you?"

Rowan shot him daggers which he blithely ignored. She'd get him back later.

"No, he cheated on me," Gabriel said and the room went as silent as a tomb. Rowan's lips were pursed together to hold back her laughter at the comical expressions on everyone's faces.

"You're joking right?" Allison finally said.

"I wish. I didn't like getting cuckolded. My brother didn't either."

"You're gay?" Reid asked.

"Keep up Reid," Pogue said.

"Is _everyone_ gay?" Reid asked no one in particular.

"Well…" Allison said. She probably felt like a fool for flirting so shamelessly with Gabriel while her boyfriend was sitting right next to her.

"Is your brother gay, too?" Reid asked.

Gabriel laughed. "No."

Tyler seemed fairly unconcerned, but he smiled at Rowan, understanding why she'd shaken her head at him.

"Hey you know, Hunter's gay, maybe the two of you could…" Reid let his sentence trail off as he was almost immediately besieged with a chorus of 'shut ups.'

"Not a bad idea though," Pogue said.

----

After everyone had left, Gabriel slapped Caleb on the back. "Sorry, man."

Caleb smiled, feeling a little stupid for giving Gabriel a glare of hell. "It's cool."

They said goodnight, Gabe went to his room, and Caleb stopped at Rowan's before he went to his. He crossed his arms over his chest and his brows arched pointedly.

"What'd I do?" Rowan asked.

And Caleb was getting her back by a tickle-fest.

"Okay, okay!" she finally ceded. "It's not like it was planned."

He nodded. "I know." He sat next to her on her bed.

"Do you really like Allison?" she asked him.

He was silent for a moment. "I like her. We're just…taking it slow, I guess."

"Oh."

"Look, Row, I know this year hasn't been easy for you."

Rowan was surprised that he'd broached this subject, she was surprised that he had noticed. "What do you mean?"

"I know Spensers has been tough for you. But it'll get better. It's high school. Everyone has a hard time adjusting to that."

"You guys fit right in."

Caleb didn't know what to say to that. He hadn't had as hard a time getting into the swing of things as his little sister. But it had always been that way. For whatever reason people didn't always take to Rowan, mostly girls her own age. No use denying it, the girls at Spensers were jealous of Rowan because of who she was to the Sons of Ipswich. But that couldn't be changed or helped. They all loved her and it wasn't like they could turn it off so the girls would feel more secure about themselves.

"Don't worry about it, Cay," she told him. "I'm holding my own." She yawned.

"Yeah, you are," Caleb said. "I'll let you get some sleep." He kissed her on her forehead.

"'Night, Cay."

----

Rowan woke up with a start. It was still. Like everything had been put on pause. The clock on her nightstand was blinking 12:00. When did the power go off?

She got out of bed, compelled to go to the window. The earth was a blanket of white and the sky was pinpointed with stars. She looked at Ernie and Bubbe, still in their beds. Then she realized something. Nothing was moving outside. She opened the window, and she heard…nothing. No breeze or light wind.

With magic, Rowan magnified her eyesight and looked further past the grounds and into the woods that surrounded their property. Nothing moving. She magnified her hearing, reaching out and heard nothing. Nothing but…

"_Keeper…"_

It was barely a whisper. Rowan got her shoes on and a sweater and left her room. Ernie and Bubbe didn't stir. Quietly she padded down the stairs, the grandfather clocks were mute, the pendulums still as corpses. She went out back through the door in her apothecary, instantly assailed by the frigid cold. She listened again for that whisper and followed it. Her feet sunk into the snow, dampening the hem of her sweats. Soon she was surrounded by brush, deep in the woods and the stillness of night.

"Keeper."

The voice was right behind her. Rowan turned, oddly unafraid. "I'm not a Keeper," she said.

The figure was cloaked in black, at least it appeared black, and the head was cowled.

"You are," the voice said, neither male or female. "And there are those who do not like it."

Rowan felt things stir then. As if they were in the middle of the storm and it was all rushing towards them. An eerie screech came from the specter as it flung towards her. Too shocked to move it was an inch away from her face with a sharp dagger pointed at her heart when a voice spewed a curse and hurled a blue fireball at the specter that instantly howled in pain and dropped to the ground.

Gabriel walked to the specter fearlessly. This was the sorcerer he was born to be. He knelt and ripped the hood off of the being's face. To Rowan's surprise it was a male, his skin so white it blended with the snow. He had a cleft lip and a lazy eye. A hump on his back and he would be Quasimodo.

The man groaned in agony, his body contorting from whatever hex Gabe had put on him.

"Who sent you?" Gabriel demanded.

The man then laughed, spittle coming out from his chapped lips. His teeth were rotten and crooked. "Finish me off. But it will not save her. Or them."

"Why do you want me dead?" Rowan asked.

Black eyes slithered over to her face. But he did not answer her. He only laughed, which rose into a high-pitched cackle until the sound became a constant sibilant of mania. Rowan had to cover her ears.

Gabriel ended it, saying words that made this man contort in merciless agony. His flesh melted, giving way to muscle and sinew, fat, then to bone, until nothing was left but the smell of evil and the demon's dagger and cloak.

Rowan picked it up without heed. It was warm despite it having been in the snow.

"It's mine now," she said.

"_Oui_," Gabriel said.

"This is why you came with me," Rowan said, not needing an answer because she already knew it. "Well, good thing you were. I wasn't expecting him to fly after me." Rowan did some magic of her own, making the cloak disappear into mist, leaving no trace of his presence. "There'll be more, won't there?" She sighed. "And I won't even come into power for a few more years."

Translations:  
pischouette: little person  
oui: yes  
c'est vrai: it's true  
mais: well (starts off a sentence)  
bien: good  
laissez les bons temps rouler: let the good times roll

* * *

I finally got my image of Hunter up in my profile and album.

Apologies if I've butchered any sense of the Cajun life or bayou living.


	10. Resolutions

**X. Resolutions**

_Either I will find a way,  
__or I will make one.  
-Philip Sidney_

Reid stood next to his father while the older Garwin bragged about his son's accomplishments at Spensers, expertly staying away from the academic part of Reid's first semester as a high school student. No, all his father had to brag about was his excellence on the swim team, which Reid was pretty proud of himself. It was something he genuinely enjoyed anyway, a hobby he kept up with. Joseph Garwin had passed on his good looks to his only son, the blond hair, blue eyes, sharp cheekbones. His mom, Meredith, was equally blond and blue eyed; tall and statuesque with a trim figure and ready smile.

The New Years Eve party was being held at the Garwins estate this year. His parents were great at throwing parties, another thing they'd passed on to their son. The four families and their offspring were attending, except for Caleb and Rowan's mom who had stayed home, likely to drink herself blind into the New Year.

At these parties the adults stayed in one wing of the mansion and the younger people in the other, but at the early hour both were mingling. Reid was only with the adults at the moment so Joseph could introduce his son to some of his newer business associates. He was wearing black slacks and black button up shirt at his mother's insistence, and he was itching to untuck the stupid shirt. Meredith had wisely opted not to comment on his fingerless gloves, the only time he went without them was during school because it went against the dress code.

Looking around the room he saw Pogue and Tyler standing with their parents, looking somewhat uncomfortable although Pogue wore it better with his usual aloof style. Caleb and Rowan were talking to Hunter and Gabriel, laughing about something. She looked really beautiful tonight, Reid observed, in that that long flowy dress, hair down… Rowan caught his eye and sent him a commiserating glance and a wink which made him smile. His thoughts were interrupted by his father, and he was brought back to the boring conversation.

----

"Reid looks like he's having a blast," Hunter commented.

The four of them looked at their blond friend, blue eyes almost glazing over.

Since their parents weren't present they'd taken up sentry by the fireplace, some kids from school coming over and making small talk with them. Allison was with her parents for the moment but obviously wanted to get back to Caleb. It wasn't new to Rowan and her brother to have their mother absent from these parties. She had all but kicked them out, insisting that they go and have fun, show Gabriel a good time. So the two siblings tried to keep their minds off of their depressed mother who was likely getting sloshed about now.

Hunter and Gabe seemed to have hit it off, Rowan thought. They'd met once before, but when she and Hunter had been together. They both looked handsome tonight, so did her brother, and her other brothers. Rowan wasn't much for getting dressed up unless she really had to, and she preferred the more casual look so she'd opted for a sleeveless wrap dress that dropped to her ankles and wisped over her flats. The stone belt brought out her curves of which she was slightly self-conscious of wishing that she had worn one of her more loosely fitted dresses. Too late now.

"Ugh, I thought they'd never let me go," Allison said dramatically, sliding her arm through Caleb's. She said hi to them but her attention went immediately back to Caleb.

A dramatic gasp erupted behind them; Rowan immediately knew it was Pinkie.

"You look so beautiful!" he said. He was wearing black slacks with a white button down and neon pink tie. "And who is your friend?" Pinkie looked at Gabe with adoration.

"This is Gabriel. Gabe this is Pinkie," Rowan said.

"A pleasure," Pinkie intoned.

Gabriel smiled. "Likewise."

"Oh, that accent!" Pinkie extolled. Then he looked at Hunter, then Gabriel. "Oh, Hunny, this was a nice choice."

Hunter's face crimsoned, but Gabriel only smiled. Caleb and Rowan were enjoying the banter. Allison looked uncomfortable, as if she weren't used to such blatant flirting between guys.

"We're not together," Hunter corrected him. But he liked Gabriel that was for damned certain. He'd thought he was attractive the first time he saw him, too, but that had been a long time ago.

"Pinkie, how much sugar did you have?" Rowan asked, diverting the attention away from Hunter.

Pinkie dropped the exaggerated effervescence, smiling genuinely now. "None. I just couldn't pass up an opportunity to rib Hunny-bear over here." He said to Gabriel now, "Philip Pinkus." He held out his hand, re-introducing himself as himself and not the stereotypical queen.

"Gabriel Grayraven," he replied, going along with it.

"Grayraven?" Allison repeated.

Pinkie fought rolling his eyes at this cling-on, as he referred to the girls who tried to glue themselves to the Sons of Ipswich.

"How was your Christmas, Pinks?" Caleb asked.

"Oh, the usual. Grandmother thinking my being gay is a phase and still thinking she's going to be a great-grandmother one day. And I have to tell her that Malcolm isn't queer and _he_ can give her grandkids. I think she's going senile, poor lady." Making everyone laugh. "How was yours?"

Caleb shrugged. "Good enough. Row made a great meal." He put his arm around her; just damned grateful he didn't have to spend the holidays alone. "Always the highlight of Christmas."

"Thanks, Cay," she said, smiling up at him.

They continued to chat; finally Pogue, Tyler and Reid were released from their bonds and joined them.

"Kill me now," Reid groaned.

"Aw, it's okay," Rowan said sympathetically, patting him on the back, and he tugged her away from Caleb, arm around her waist, resting his chin on the top of her head, which was quite a bend because she was rather shorter than him.

They continued to talk, eventually separating themselves from the adults. It was nearing midnight and Rowan was tired. She faded herself out of the group of young people and wandered through the Garwins' dark halls. There were single and family portraits of their ancestors from generations past. She knew these pictures and paintings like she knew the ones in Tyler and Pogue's homes, too. Eventually she made her way to the library where the fire was lit. She turned on only one lamp, those lamps that are more for decoration than illumination. Sitting on one of the plump couches she pulled out her paperback and tried to read but found herself not able to concentrate. That man-demon was constantly on her mind. It wasn't the first time someone had tried to kill her. But it was the first time a live person had tried to kill her. Because that man was a true human being, obviously corrupted by necromancy of a sort. She wished that he had told her more about why "they" wanted her dead. Was the possibility of her being a Keeper that threatening to somebodies unknown?

Her would-be assassin's dagger had revealed nothing forthcoming. But Rowan wasn't proficient in psychometry. She mostly got feelings and flashes of things, not descriptive visions like an adept psychometric. By the ancient symbolism on the hilt it was obviously a sacrificial dagger. She supposed he had meant to kill her and cut out her heart, maybe not exactly in that order. Ultimately, Rowan had wrapped the dagger in brown parchment and basil, tied with a thin brown rope. Although she'd wanted to keep it, she wisely gave it to Gabriel to take back to his mother.

Even Gabriel wasn't sure who or what cult her attacker belonged to. Nana hadn't known either. But whoever he was, there was more and they would come for her, which meant that they would come for her brothers too. And that wasn't acceptable.

----

Ten minutes to midnight. Reid left the room to find Rowan. It's not like he could have kissed her like he'd wanted the past two years, but now that she wasn't with Hunter anymore... And Hunter wanted to kiss Gabriel and vice versa, Reid could tell. Hell, he was happy for his brother. Tyler had found a nice girl from school, even though he had a crush on Maria who was still in Napa with her family and boyfriend. Pogue would be fine, and Caleb had Allison. Admittedly he'd been flirting with a group of girls who had surrounded him although he'd been partially distracted, trying to keep Rowan in his line of sight so he wouldn't miss her and to make sure Aaron Abbot didn't try to approach her. That asshole had had his eyes on Rowan almost all night.

"The piece of shit," Reid muttered as he winded his way to the library. Where else would Rowan be?

And he was right; she was sitting in the dim room with an open book on her lap, staring into the fire. She hadn't heard him come in so he did what he normally did when caught alone with her; he took a moment and just looked at her. She'd taken her shoes off and curled her legs up under her. The shadows of the flames danced across her face. She was deep in thought, and whatever it was was putting a discontented expression on her face.

"Hey, beautiful," he said, wanting to see her smile.

Her eyes darted towards the door, momentarily startled, but she smiled when she saw it was Reid. "How long have you been there?"

Reid shrugged then plopped on the couch next to her, and put his arm around her.

"It's almost midnight, what are you doing in here?" she asked. "Shouldn't you be choosing from your many admirers which one to kiss?"

"I'd rather be here." He glanced at the clock on the mantle. Three minutes to midnight. "Besides, I had to make sure Aaron didn't get to you."

Rowan scoffed. "You exaggerate his supposed attraction to me. You get yourself bent out of shape for nothing."

"Uh-huh, I wish," he said.

Rowan relaxed and rested her head between his shoulder and chin. She took his opposite hand, removed the glove and traced the lines on his palm. Her hands were small and delicate with long fingers. Rowan always smelled like some herb or plant or flower, tonight she gave off the faint scent of honeysuckle. Reid's entire body tingled at her touch. And it was better all the more because he knew she wasn't coming on to him. Rowan was just comfortable with him. He wondered if she loved him like he loved her. And what would she say if he told her now.

"I like this," he said quietly.

"What?" She lifted her head to look at him.

And he gave a light shrug. "Just this. You and me."

Rowan smiled. "Me too, Reid."

And the clock chimed midnight. They could hear the faint yells from the other places in the mansion. And Rowan and Reid's eyes were locked together. Rowan's heart beat fast, she didn't know what to do, and she wasn't a seer so she didn't know what the hell Reid was going to do. Was he going to kiss her? Did he want to? He had said he wanted to be here even though there were tons of other girls to choose from. Their first kiss flashed through her mind. Just before his lips had touched hers they had both felt a shock which had startled them both. They had both touched their lips, and then laughed, kind of nervous. Then they had gravitated towards one another again.

Like now…because Reid was leaning his head down.

And there was another shock.

"Damn," Reid said reflexively.

And like the first time they both rubbed their lips. But they didn't laugh this time. They were older.

_Screw it_, Reid thought, and kissed her. One hand was behind her head, the other cupping her cheek. Her lips were soft, sweet. The tip of his tongue wanted to get passed those lips and with light prodding she accepted it, and it was like he was drowning in her. Rowan had one hand on his shoulder, one behind his neck, and this kiss was perfect. Her entire body was heated and she couldn't get enough. Soon they broke apart, needing air. Reid's eyes were shut tight and his forehead was pressed against hers.

"Damn," he said, not knowing he had spoken aloud. Never had he felt something like that. Something like this. Ever. Not ever. "Do you know," – he had to clear his throat – "how long I've wanted to do that?"

Call it gravity or whatever the hell you want, but Reid was uncontrollably pulled to her. He didn't give her a chance to respond, just kissed her again, deeper now if that were possible. They were falling together, until she was on her back and he was on her, holding himself up so he didn't crush her.

Reid's weight on her body felt right, even though something was digging into her hip, and whether it was his belt or…something else, she wasn't sure, and didn't care; Rowan just pulled him closer until her breasts were pressing against his chest. What was she doing, kissing Reid like this? She'd always felt different towards him, but she had never pursued it. Not only because she had been with Hunter but because she knew there was no way in hell she could ever keep up with Reid. There were things he wanted out of the girls he "dated" that Rowan wasn't ready to give.

"Reid," she said against his mouth, but didn't push him away.

He licked his lips. "I know. It's okay." Making love to her – wow, he'd never used that term before – wasn't anywhere in his intentions, and he wanted to assure her of that. Not that he would have heatedly objected to making love to her, but they were in a house full of people, and he wouldn't want her to regret it afterwards.

"It's okay?" Her brown eyes were uncertain.

"I told you, I like this. You and me." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. He had never spoken truer words.

"Happy New Year, Reid," she said.

"Happy New Year, Rowan."

* * *

That last part was odd to write for some reason. I'm not used to writing romantic things between teenagers. O_O I didn't want it to be blatantly sexual, but I wanted it to be...touching? sweet? at the same time. I'm not sure if those are the right words. o_O

I put a pic of Rowan's dress in my album, because I'm not sure if I described it well enough. I'm not so good with clothes.

Thanks to those who're taking the moment to read and review. Much appreciated. :D


	11. Funhouse

**XI. Funhouse**

_This used to be a funhouse__  
But now it's full of evil clowns__  
It's time to start the countdown__  
I'm gonna burn it down, down, down…  
-Pink_

"Hi Will. Hi Grace," Brody tossed at them as he passed their lunch table.

"Hey, Rowan, if you ever need a real man…" Aaron started to say.

"Back off, Abbot," Hunter growled. Just because he was gay didn't mean he would let Aaron keep making moves on Rowan.

Aaron smirked that infuriating smirk he always had. Hunter wondered if he had come out of the womb with that shit-eating grin on his face. The brothers weren't at the table yet so Reid hadn't cocked a fist at his mortal enemy.

"Hey, Rowan's now yours anymore, fag-" Aaron continued.

Hunter merely glared up at Aaron, not needing to extend to his full height to faze him out . "Mine? I don't see any livestock around here, asshole. And if that's the way you're thinking, she'll never be _yours_ either."

Aaron was about to say something else but Brody's eyes flicked passed him and Aaron turned around to see the Sons of Ipswich standing behind him like a sentry. Tyler was almost holding Reid back.

"Stay away from my sister, Aaron," Caleb said. His brown eyes were hard and there wasn't a trace of the normal amiability that the eldest son had.

Aaron scoffed, but knew when he was outnumbered. He winked at Rowan. "Remember what I said, babe. I'll be your valentine."

"A bloody valentine if you don't back off," Reid sneered.

"I'm scared," Aaron tossed back.

Reid almost went after him but his brothers were stopping him. He had to watch Brody and Aaron walk away with the last word. Shielding his eyes he used his powers to trip the two of them and they both did a face-plant right in front of the entire cafeteria providing much-needed lunchtime amusement. Caleb glared at him but didn't say anything. Reid simply smiled feeling slightly vindicated. They all took their seats at the table. Hunter sat to the right of Rowan, Pinkie to her left, Maria sat next to Pinkie. Pogue took a seat at the head of the table as Allison was sitting next to Caleb.

"He is, like, so unpleasant," Maria said.

"Oh, sweetie, you just don't know," Pinkie told her with a shake of his head.

"He's not always that bad," Allison said, and a collective silence hovered around the table. It was blasphemy to stick up for Aaron.

"On what fucking planet?" Reid spewed, his hackles up.

Allison's brow rose high at his language.

"Reid," Caleb said, not liking how he was addressing Allison.

Rowan tapped Reid's foot under the table and he simmered down.

"Don't worry about it," she said. "Let's dissipate this negative energy from the table. It's not good for the food."

Pretty much everyone but Allison laughed, she just didn't understand this oddness that was Caleb's little sister. She was so different from him that she wondered how they could be related. Caleb was so popular and personable, as were the rest of his friends, Rowan had to be somewhat of an embarrassment to them at times. But she had them wrapped around her finger and they practically doted on her. Caleb had even canceled a date with her when his sister had gotten sick back in December. Frankly, she thought their dedication to her was a bit over the top, but hesitated to say anything. Allison thought Rowan could alleviate a lot of the resentment directed towards her if she ditched all the weirdness. Right now she was wearing – what Caleb had told her – a camel velvet evil-eye wrap bracelet. She put charms in her locker, too, and kept animal feed on the uppermost shelf.

"Who will be your valentine this year, Rowan?" Maria asked.

"I don't even like Valentine's day," she replied.

Maria looked scandalized. She was an old-school romantic.

"I mean," Rowan continued, and everyone but Maria and Allison knew what was coming, "two of the Valentine's that the church recognized, Valentine of Rome and Valentine of Terni, were martyred for crying out loud." They thought she was finished, but she went on adamantly: "And the first Saint Valentine to be recognized in the fifteenth century was a Roman priest, but he was executed because he was marrying Christians, and it was a crime to aid Christians at that time."

Allison looked at her, appalled. She saw that no one else seemed particularly disturbed.

Continuing: "He was beaten and clubbed and stoned, and when _that_ didn't kill him they beheaded him." She took a deep breath. "I don't see what's so romantic about that."

"You're hot when you get all worked up like that, Rowan," Reid said.

At that Rowan blushed.

"But you celebrate it," Pinkie said.

She shrugged. "I have nothing against romance. I just think that people should show love everyday and not just make a point of it one day out of the year."

"She's a romantic at heart," Hunter said.

"It's true," Rowan admitted. "Speaking of…" She caught Pogue's wandering eye. He was facing the direction in which a new student of Spensers was sitting. "The smitten kitten."

Pogue snapped out of his drooling and glared at Rowan but she just smiled sweetly. So he had seen Kate Tunney on the first day back at Spensers, he immediately pulled Maria aside and demanded information. Kate was from Manhattan, a freshman, and damned hot in Pogue's estimation.

"She's in my next class," Rowan said.

"I think I'll go talk to her," Reid said. "Introduce myself formally." He was already standing up with his play-boy mask on.

"Reid," Pogue ground out.

"First come, first serve fellas…"

----

Hunter turned out the lights in his room and settled in. It was raining and the thick drops splattered against the window with a fury. But nothing could mar his good mood at the moment. Gabriel had called to wish him a happy Valentine's Day and immediately his mind flashed back to New Years when they had kissed at midnight. Hunter hadn't been expecting it, but no doubt there was an attraction between them and they'd kept in touch since. His first kiss with a guy, he had hesitated for about a millisecond then threw caution to the wind. He might not get another chance, he'd told himself. And he'd never felt anything like that before. At first he had felt guilty for feeling something so intense in that kiss that he had never felt with Rowan, but when she'd confided in him about her kiss with Reid and how she was feeling guilty about how it had felt, they had come to an understanding.

But now Reid was back to his old self, flirting with his flock of chicks that never let up on him. Hunter hadn't asked Rowan how she felt about that, but knowing her she wasn't wishing anything ill on Reid.

Hunter drifted off to sleep with Gabriel in his mind, but was awakened when he felt a presence in his room. His eyes snapped open just as a cloth was put over his face.

"Hold him down!" a voice ordered.

His arms were held, but his legs weren't. He did a kick to the side, rotating his hips and caught whoever it was good in the ribs. With that one side free he clocked the other person and felt bone and cartilage break beneath his fist.

"Fuck! You fucking broke my nose!"

The third one came at him but Hunter dropped him with a three punch-kick combo, sending him flying into the wall. The commotion brought people to his door. Someone flicked on the light – Pinkie in his pink pajamas and eye mask hanging around his neck.

"Holy shit," Reid said. He saw Aaron, Brody, and one of their drones splayed out in Hunter's room.

"Dude, you're bleeding," Tyler said.

Hunter's adrenaline was still pumping. He looked at his forearm and there was a shallow cut about four inches long. Two pairs of scissors, shaving cream, and a razor were on the floor, one of them must have cut Hunter in the process of holding him down.

"I'm fine," Hunter ground out between his clenched teeth. He was pissed.

"You broke my nose," Brody cried. His hands came away from his blood-splattered face. "You fucking faggot."

"Shut the hell up, Brody," Pogue spat.

Pinkie was looking disturbed, not making any of his usual flippant comments. He went into Hunter's bathroom and got a wet cloth and brought it to him.

----

"_You_ might get expelled?" Rowan railed. "_They_ attacked _you_! With weapons!" She was in Hunter's dorm room where he had been quarantined until his uncle Fabian arrived to talk with the provost.

It was the six of them, all pretty pissed off on Hunter's behalf.

"This is so like this damned school," Rowan spat. "It's sick."

It was a scary thing to see Rowan genuinely angry. Not pissed off, or mad, but angry. Her voice was level but her tone was venomous. She was standing by the window not looking at anyone, but staring at the bleak gray sky.

"Just because their families donate money…it's always about money. That's what this is." She paused, her dark eyes turning to the side. "Toby said Provost Higgins is getting hounded by Brody's and Aaron's parents to have Hunter expelled."

"That's bullshit," Reid said. "They can't expel you for this man."

"Don't worry about it," Hunter said.

"You can get away with murder here," Rowan was saying. "And no one cares."

"Hey, it'll be fine lil bit, come here." Pogue had to tug her away from the window to get her to sit by him.

"It's not fine," she said.

Rowan was actually making the room tilt with her anger. If Hunter got expelled she'd leave this school, too. It wasn't right that Hunter was being seen as the aggressor when he was the one who had been attacked just because Aaron, Brody, and Nick had inferiority complexes. This school had been built by her ancestors, a place to harbor fugitive slaves and educate the young people of Ipswich, but it had turned into a place where sins were buried deep and there was more pettiness than goodness. Instead of worrying about the well-being of the students, the higher-ups worried about the parents of those students being offended if they didn't get what they wanted. Rowan had known this place was tainted, and this was just one more instance to add to the silenced injustices in Spensers Academy.

"Your uncle's here," Rowan said just seconds before a knock sounded at the door.

Hunter opened it and there stood his Uncle Fabian, all six feet five and two-hundred and ninety pounds of him. His dark hair was cropped short, his face was stern. He wore a business suit and tie with shined shoes.

He made eye contact with each of them and nodded. "Boys. Rowan." He turned back to Hunter. "Ready?"

----

Hunter and his uncle, the provost, Aaron, Brody, and Nick and their parents sat at a long table with the provost at the head.

Aaron was sporting a split lip, black eye, a couple of bruised ribs and a sprained wrist. Brody's nose was heavily bandaged, he also had some bruised ribs. Nick had three broken ribs and a black eye. Everyone's eyes had practically bugged out when Fabian Mercer had entered the room. The large man sat to the right of the provost, leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled beneath his chin, dark eyes sparing no one his basilisk glare.

"So let me understand this," Fabian spoke. "My nephew was assaulted in his dorm room, in the middle of the night, gagged and restrained to his bed, and he is facing expulsion."

"He was hardly assaulted, look at my son!" Brody's father spat.

"Now, let's-" the provost began.

"Come on, Gene!" Mr. Abbot exclaimed. "He" – he jabbed a finger at Hunter – "is a menace!"

"Refrain from addressing my nephew in that manner, Mr. Abbot," Fabian commanded him in a deadly tone. His posture had yet to change. "Provost Higgins, I was under the impression that this school had a zero-tolerance policy for violence, but obviously I was mistaken."

"There is a zero-"

Fabian interrupted. "But apparently the zero-tolerance is for the young people who threaten the status quo of this academy."

"Now, Mr. Mercer-"

"Let's be blunt. My nephew was attacked because he is gay. And it's no secret that these young men have been harassing Hunter for it. Isn't that right?" This time his dark eyes needled Hunter's attackers who shifted uncomfortably in their flesh. "Is this the sort of institution you're running, Provost Higgins? Where kids can get away with assaulting others with weapons just because they do not approve of their sexual orientation?"

Provost Higgins' mouth opened and shut, trying to make the words in his mind reach his tongue and leave his throat. "I assure you," – he cleared his throat - "that Hunter's sexual orientation has nothing to do with this. We're very open minded here-"

"I don't care if he's screwing the entire football team," Brody's dad interjected, "he shattered my son's nose."

"Then I suggest plastic surgery," Fabian said. "What's it going to be Mr. Higgins?"

----

Fifteen minutes later Hunter was walking Fabian back to his car.

"Thanks," Hunter said.

"You sure you want to stay here?" Fabian asked.

"I'm not leaving Rowan," he said.

Fabian smiled. "Your father would have been damned proud of you, kid."

"Yeah?" he asked hesitantly.

"No doubt, Hunter." He gave his nephew a hug and shook his head. "Fucking rich people."

----

"So you have three weeks detention, and they get suspended for two weeks and detention for a month when they come back," Caleb said.

"That's the gist of it," Hunter said, crunching on a Dorito.

They were in her sanctum sanctorum, gorging themselves on junk food while Rowan was behind the counter flipping through a very large book of spells.

"I wish I could have been the one to smash Brody's face in," Reid lamented wistfully. "Why do you get to have all the fun?" he griped, feeding Ernie a cracker.

"Quit hogging the cheese," Pogue sniped, grabbing the can of Cheez Whiz from Reid and slathering a Ritz cracker with it. Bubbe watched him earnestly.

"What are you doing?" Tyler asked, coming to stand beside her.

"I want them to squirm," Rowan said.

Tyler looked at the open page. There was a picture of the three wise monkeys, one covering its ears; hear no evil, one its eyes; see no evil, the other its mouth; speak no evil. And the enigmatic fourth monkey covering either his abdomen or crotch; do no evil. Tyler couldn't tell which.

----

The day after Brody, Aaron and Nick came back from their suspension they came down with a severe case of laryngitis. Two days after that they contracted an inner ear infection. The next day they were diagnosed with viral conjunctivitis. The day after that they had severe symptoms that indicated ulcers. They were taken out of school. And each time their bad luck seemed to be letting up, the illness came back.

"So, when does it go away?" Caleb asked her one evening, three weeks into it.

"When does what go away, Cay?" she asked.

"I know you put a spell on them, Row," he said. "Not that they don't deserve a taste of their own medicine, but they're sick with some pretty serious stuff."

"I know what I'm doing."

Two weeks later Rowan severed the spell. Aaron, Brody, and Nick woke up, illness and symptoms completely gone, to the astonishment of their doctors and parents. But whenever they had it in their minds to do something particularly vile, their ears, eyes, throats, and stomachs would throb for a single beat as a potent reminder.

----

Hunter knocked on Pinkie's door and went in when an acerbic pitch of consent was given. Pinkie was sitting at his desk with his school books opened.

"Yes?" Pinkie inquired, not looking at Hunter.

"Row, Diz and I are going out, you want to come?" Hunter asked.

"No, thank you."

Pinkie had been acting like this since Hunter had had his spat with Aaron, Brody and Nick. His usually enthusiasm was dried up, and he had no pithy quips to offer to anyone. Hunter had an idea what was going on in Pinkie's head, but hadn't pried. He took a spare chair turned it, so he could rest his forearms on the back of it.

Pinkie looked sideways at Hunter, who was only sitting there casually, unwavering eyes on the morose boy.

"What's up, Pinks?" Hunter asked.

"Nothing."

"That's bull. You hardly come out of your room, you've ditched gym class, and you spend lunch in the library."

"I am merely catching up on my studying," he insisted.

"We're worried about you," Hunter said.

"Don't be," Pinkie snapped. "I'm fine."

Hunter sighed. "Talk to me Philip. This has to do with those three assholes, right?"

"You invoked my birth name. You cretin."

Hunter smiled. "I thought that might get your attention." He let the silence go on, knowing that it would get to Pinkie.

"I…am just trying to avoid any conflict," Pinkie said. "All right?"

"You thrive on witty banter," he said.

"People like me have to."

"Like you?" Hunter knew what he meant, but he was pressing him anyway.

"Yeah," Pinkie said more loudly than he'd intended. He whipped around in his chair to face Hunter. "Fags, queers. You know?" He shook his head, trying to do away with the dark thoughts that had been plaguing him. "You could have been seriously hurt, you know that? The only reason why they finally decided to make a move on you is because you're gay. That's it."

Hunter raised his and shrugged. "But they didn't get to me. You're worried they might get to you."

"They've been screwing with me since we were kids. Because I'm gay. And while I have no problem with who I'm attracted to, it's still…scares the hell out of me that someone would hate me so much just because of it. I can't defend myself like you, Hunter. If that'd been me they'd gone after, I'd have been pulverized. I could have turned into another Matthew Shepherd, and they would have gotten away with it!" Pinkie bit back tears.

"They wouldn't. And I've got your back, you know that."

Pinkie deflated and hung his head. "It's easy for you. You took the three of them out like they were puppets. And they're never going to mess with you again."

"And as long as you're with me, they're not going to screw with you either. And if they ever did anything to you, you know me and Rowan wouldn't let them get away with it. I can promise you that."

Pinkie looked at Hunter's dead serious green eyes. He sniffed, and raised his head. "All right. I feel a tad better."

Hunter smiled. "I can even teach you some defensive moves if you want."

Pinkie looked at him dubiously. "That might be interesting. Nothing too vigorous though. I'm not made for hard labor."

Hunter laughed and got up from his chair. "Come on."

"So where are we going?"

"Dancing."

"Ooh!" Pinkie loved dancing. "I'll have to pick out a colorful outfit." He headed for his closet but pivoted to face Hunter. "Thanks, you know. You, Rowan, and Diz are, like, my best friends."

"Why the hell do you think we put up with you, Pinks?"

Pinkie laughed. He paused for a second then gave Hunter a hug. Hunter hugged him right back, giving him a slap on the back.

"Ow!" Pinkie said. "I'm not one of your manly-man friends. Sheesh! When you hug me you're going to have to be more conscientious of my dainty constitution."

"That's sad," Hunter said.

"Okay, help me pick out my outfit."

"Oh, hell no." Hunter looked scandalized. "Just because I'm gay doesn't mean I'm anymore into fashion. Let me get Dizzy in here." And he was beating a hasty retreat out of the room.

"Now, _that_ is sad, sweetie," Pinkie called after him.

* * *

Just a note, the person I have for Hunter's uncle is Dave Batista from the WWE. I put a pic of him in my album.

Any comments are welcome. Thanks to those who are reading and commenting so far. :)


	12. Rainy Days and Mondays

**XII. Rainy Days and Mondays**

_Funny but it seems I always wind up here with you  
__Nice to know somebody loves me  
__Funny but it seems that it's the only thing to do  
__Run and find the one who loves me  
-The Carpenters_

Reid sat next to Rowan in study hall with his head down. He had the biggest headache and it wasn't from drinking. He knew he should have dumped Christine, he told himself that she was way too clingy, but did he listen? No. And then she went and told him that she loved him – after three weeks! Who does that? And when he didn't feel the same way, she went supernova on him. Screaming, crying, slapping at him. He had a cut on his face. Crazy slut.

"Maybe you should go back to your dorm and get some rest," Rowan said after study hall was over. "You look a little worse for the wear."

"Not funny," he said. His hair was mussed, his tie crooked, blazer wrinkled, and not from partying too hard.

"Come on," she said, steering him to the dorms.

"You're skipping with me?" he asked, eyes brightening.

"I'm in the library next period," she said. "No big deal."

The two of them didn't see Christine and her friends glaring daggers at them, immediately their yaps began to fan the flames for torrid gossip.

When they got to his dorm room Reid planted himself on the bed face first. Rowan took a baggie of herbs (completely legal) from her backpack, went into his bathroom and got a plastic cup and mixed it with water. She blew on it and the liquid began to heat up. She swirled it around three times clockwise and twice counter-clockwise, then blew on it again. In less than five minutes she had a nice cup of tea ready.

"Here, sit up," she said.

He threw his jacket on the floor and kicked his shoes off. Rowan propped the pillows up for him and handed him the cup.

"Sip slowly."

"Thanks," he said, already feeling better. Reid scooched over on the bed and she reclined next to him, he tucked her into his side.

"Did you clean that?" she asked him, referring to the small scratch on his face.

He hmmphed, his finger unconsciously touching the superficial wound. "Crazy."

"She must have been really angry."

"You have no idea. I swear she was possessed."

Rowan smiled. "I guess that's what heartbroken girls do."

Reid rolled his eyes. "Three weeks and she thinks she's in love with me."

Rowan shrugged. "Well…"

"I never said I loved her," he interjected.

"Didn't even hint at it?" she offered.

"Nope."

"Did you say any words that were synonymous with 'care' or 'affection'? Anything to indicate that you felt more than just the physical for her?"

The blond boy contemplated that for a second. "No, I never do that." He took a sip of the tea, pretty sure he had never done that, anyway. "But I never said I loved her, that I'm positive of."

"Hmm. Well, I know she was warned about your reputation. And undoubtedly she was cautioned against getting involved with you. Both Dizzy and Toby can attest to that. She was warned that you are a 'player' a 'pig' a 'man-whore who treats girls almost as bad as Aaron Abbot'."

"What?" he nearly yelled. "I'm nothing like him!"

"Calm, Reid, calm…" she said, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder to make him lay back again. "Jeez."

The flush of indignation gradually left his face.

"Keep sipping," she ordered, and he did so. "So, she was warned, and she still went ahead and dated you. Christine said that she thought you just needed to meet the right person and you would settle down."

"Settle down? Like what? Marriage and two-point-five kids? I'm fifteen for Christ's sake."

Rowan chuckled. "Guess she's a romantic."

They sat in comfortable silence for a while and it started to rain. It was the end of May already and school would be letting out in less than two weeks. Rowan was glad for it, more than ready to be away from Spensers Academy, even though she would miss Toby.

"Reid?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you ever feel badly when those girls get their feelings hurt?" Soft brown eyes met his blue ones and it took a minute to answer her.

"I don't do it intentionally," he finally said. "And if they know what I'm like then they know what they're getting into." He shrugged.

"But this play boy image, that's not all you, Reid," she said. "How come you never try to get to know one of them? And I don't mean to be in a serious relationship, but something that might mean more as time goes by."

He'd asked himself that same question before. But he didn't want to be in a serious relationship with anyone. He only loved one person. "I'm not mature enough to be any sort of boyfriend. The kind they probably want anyway."

Rowan smirked. "Well at least you acknowledge that." Then: "But I worry about you."

His brow furrowed. "Why?"

"Because I don't want you to get hurt."

He looked at her for a time, captivated by the love and worry in her eyes that was directed at him, and that sobered him. "They can't hurt me if I don't care what they think."

"I guess," said Rowan, uncertain. "But hell hath no fury like a teenage girl scorned."

"Right," he said, laughing. "I have the marks to prove it."

Rowan touched the faint red line that was already scabbing over. Reid stilled and closed his eyes, rendered motionless by her touch. He was done with his tea by then and had discarded the plastic cup in the waste basket underneath his nightstand. His head fell slowly and his lips met with her forehead in a soft kiss. It just reminded him of their kissing on New Years. Afterwards they continued on as they always had, but sometimes their eyes would meet and each would know the other was thinking about that kiss. Sometimes he could be making out with another girl and Rowan's face would flash in his mind. He didn't know if that was good or bad, but to be on the safe side Reid would put Rowan out of his mind when he was with another girl. And he hadn't slept with as many as most thought he did. Just three this whole year, Christine being the last. Disastrous as that was. It didn't help that she was best friends with Caleb's girlfriend Allison. That ought to be interesting once Caleb got a hold of him.

"Thanks," he said quietly.

"For what?"

"Not criticizing me." He got it from his parents, Caleb, even Tyler would shake his head at him like he didn't know where the hell his brain was sometimes. But they were guys and they understood how chicks could be in their own estrogen-warped worlds. But he would have hated it if Rowan thought he was some sort of shit.

"I know you, Reid. I know you've got a good, caring heart, even if you don't let others see it so much. Even though I think you should," she added, and he smiled. "Then they'd really know someone to love."

Rowan let Reid drift off to sleep. He always looked so angelic in repose. Those harsh planes of his face settled, his lips were relaxed, he was completely out to the world. Taking care of her brothers gave her a confidence to be a Keeper even though the thought of it was overwhelming. But if someone was going to take care of them, who better than her? She loved them with her entire heart and would do anything for them. Yeah, she could take care of them better than even the most experienced witch. She kissed Reid on the forehead and tucked him in, gathered her things and left the dorms.

----

"I know what he did was wrong, but she was warned about him, wasn't she?" Caleb asked Allison. He had heard a diatribe from his girlfriend about how hurt her best friend Christine was, completely heartbroken. It boggled his mind when girls cried over Reid, who didn't know by now that he was no boyfriend in the usual sense and that he never stayed with a girl for more than a month. Not that he appreciated Reid putting him in this precarious position with Allison.

"How can you say that?" Allison's voice rose. Her eyes were wide, looking at Caleb as if he had just uttered something scandalous. "He slept with her and just…threw her away!"

Caleb uncomfortably averted his eyes and rubbed the back of his neck. Her volume was increasing and they were in a local diner in Ipswich and people were starting to stare. He was going to kill Reid for doing this. The blond had known Christine was Allison's best friend, not that he had been thinking about it when he was messing around with her. Damn it.

"God, he should…castrated or something!" Allison flipped.

Caleb winced.

"I mean, you don't condone what he did, do you?"

"No, I don't."

"But you're on his side," she pressed.

"I'm not on anyone's side," he insisted. "I'm just saying that, well, even you warned her what Reid was like, didn't you?" Caleb was at a complete loss as to what to do. "If it makes you feel any better she got him back," he said lamely, grappling at anything to appease her.

Allison stared at him silently. Her hard face was an odd juxtaposition to her clean look. Her long hair was held back by a headband, her strand of pearls hung impeccably around her swan neck. The collar of her polo shirt was just so, and her jeans were ironed, and her gold watch strapped to fit her wrist exactly.

Caleb looked at his own watch. It was almost four-thirty.

"Have somewhere to be?" Allison asked, taking a sip of her water.

"I'm supposed to help my sister set up her fish tank. She adopted two tropical fish," he said.

"You can adopt fish?" Allison said blandly.

"Well she got them at PetSmart, but she uses 'adopt' rather than 'buy.'" One of the quirks he loved about his eccentric littler sister.

"And she can't do that herself?"

Caleb didn't like the tone she was using when referring to Rowan. Rowan had been nothing but nice to Allison, but Allison continued to be somewhat aloof when speaking to Rowan. And he was beginning to think that she resented the time he spent with his sister. But Rowan had always been a little haven to him, especially after their dad "died" and their mom became an alcoholic.

"Well, I promised her," Caleb said.

"Do you guys always dote on her like this?" Allison asked.

Caleb's brow furrowed and his eyes became slits. "What do you mean?"

She shrugged. "Nothing, I just mean, you guys just... Never mind," she said, waving it off.

"Yeah," Caleb said shortly. "I have to go." He put money down on the table. "I'll talk to you later."

----

"_Where did you get that picture?" Allison asked._

_Christine rolled her eyes at her friend._

_Allison was looking over her friend's shoulder at the computer screen. A cropped picture of Rowan as a kid was on one side, and her freshman school picture was on the other. In the former picture Rowan was smiling. Her face was chubby and she was bald. It must have been during the year she was going through chemotherapy, Allison surmised._

"_Christine…"_

"_Shh, Allie," Christine said._

"_Is this how you're getting back at Reid? Why don't you just do something to him?" She may not have been anywhere near friends with Rowan, but she wasn't sure about this stunt._

"_Please, he doesn't care what anyone says about him. And when someone can't be hurt like that, you go after what or who that person cares about instead. And that's definitely Rowan. I don't know what he sees in her."_

"_They've known each other since they were in diapers, Chris," Allison said._

_Christine scoffed acidly. "No, no. Reid is totally in love with her."_

"_How do you know that?"_

"_Totally the way he looks at her. It's different than how his friends do. And they went to his dorm room during school today."_

"_That doesn't mean anything. I don't think Rowan's like that."_

"_What are you her friend now?" Christine snapped. "I thought you said she was weird."_

"_She is, but…"_

"_But nothing," Christine said. Her picture was finished and she printed it out. _

"_Where are you going?"_

"_Library. I need about a hundred copies of these before lights out."_

_Allison wanted to stop her, but didn't. She was her best friend after all. And Christine hardy ever followed through with what she said anyway._

Toby had heard every word of their conversation, and then followed Christine to the library. He didn't know what to do. And he did not want Rowan to be hurt. He wasn't that strong of a ghost. He didn't have that anger or resentment to dredge up to make energy to affect the corporeal world. It was almost six now and there was no way he could get a hold of Rowan, and her friends couldn't see him. He wished like heck he was able to leave the grounds of Spensers Academy. But because he had died here his spirit couldn't get passed a mile of Spensers without weakening him. Then he would have to go back to the Gray Lands to recuperate.

Kids hadn't changed since he was an actual student here. They were just as cruel and calculating as they were fifty-odd years ago. Only now they had things like computers, mobile phones, and text messaging to spread more of their poison. He had watched as technology changed over the years. The fashions, the music, the language, the technology. Some of it was interesting, but a lot of it he thought was warping peoples' minds. Even Rowan thought some of the technology was too much. She hated text messaging and couldn't fathom how people held long conversations using the little number pads. Toby knew she only used her cell phone for emergencies and putting pictures of her friends – humans and animals alike – on the phone as a portable photo album. She was the best friend he had ever had, and teenagers were plotting against her, just because she was herself. Because she was loving, caring, considerate, sympathetic, empathetic. And those concepts were foreign to most people so they saw it as something to be feared and repulsed by. Something threatening.

So in the library he stood next to Christine while papers spit out of the large machine. Pictures of a time when Rowan was at her most ill even though she was smiling wide in the photo. The most he could do was send waves of cold at Christine, but all she did was look around suspiciously and shiver.

"I'm sorry, Rowan," he said sadly. And if he were able, he would have cried.


	13. Black Clouds

**XIII. Black Clouds**

_It's the black clouds over your head__  
It's the monsters under your bed__  
As tragic as this might seem__  
We can't escape the bad things__  
You know what that means  
-Smile Empty Soul_

Toby was waiting at the front of the school for Rowan the next morning, and he barely knew what to say. Hunter and Pinkie were there looking like World War III was coming.

"What's wrong?" Caleb asked.

Some students were giggling, looking at a piece of paper, staring at Rowan then back at the paper.

Hunter handed her the paper.

Rowan just looked. It was a picture of her when she was five, bald and chubby. And next to that was her freshman yearbook picture. Beneath that in big bold letters read: Bald and Beautiful?

"Who the hell made this?" Caleb spat. His cell phone rang, it was Pogue. "I see it," Caleb said.

Rowan was quiet. Mostly she remembered the day this picture was taken. All her hair had been falling out, and she was sad because she missed having her mom comb it for her. She had come home from another round of chemo one day and Caleb, Pogue, Reid and Tyler were standing on the front steps wearing hats. Her dad was holding her because she was a bit too weak to walk.

"Ready guys?" Caleb had voiced.

The four boys took off their hats, and they were all as bald as Rowan. She had laughed, and laughed. Then inside Rowan was placed on her wheelchair, and her brothers arced around her. Caleb on her left, Pogue on her right, Tyler and Reid above her. All toothy smiles and bald heads. Click. One of the best moments in Rowan's life captured for all time.

"Hmm," Rowan uttered. She shrugged. "Poor quality."

"We'll find out who did this," Hunter said.

"Yeah," Pinkie echoed.

Already Pogue was with them, Caleb and him conferencing a few feet away.

"They're all over the halls and the dorms," Pinkie said.

"It was Christine and Allison," Toby told her. "I'm sorry I couldn't do anything."

"It's all right. Not your fault," she said.

They had to go to class, and her friends were pissed on her behalf. They all had first period Bio together, Tyler and Reid were waiting outside the room. They looked at Rowan, vainly hoping that she hadn't seen the flyer, but she had.

Hunter, Rowan and Pinkie sat by Dizzy who immediately asked Rowan if she was all right.

"I am so sorry, Row," she said, as if it were her fault. "Someone will find out who did this."

In the middle of class a student came with a pink slip.

"Miss Danvers?" Mr. Graham said. "The provost would like to see you."

Rowan gathered her things, took the slip from the teacher and headed to the provost's office. Toby went with her. She sat in the waiting room until the secretary told her she could go in. She put her backpack at her feet, crossed her ankles and sat back in the chair.

"Miss Danvers, I am sorry to call you here under these circumstances," he said. "I assume you know what this is about?"

"Yes, sir," she replied. She could see that he had a copy of the flyer on his desk.

"Do you have any idea who might have done this?"

Rowan shrugged. "No, sir. I guess it's just a stupid prank."

He was silent for a moment. Provost Higgins thought Rowan Danvers to be an eccentric girl, although nice and respectful. She was top of her class with never anything lower than an A- on her report card. She wasn't on any sports teams or a member in any clubs; it was his understanding that she did her volunteer work outside of school. The Humane Society he knew. She often put up flyers on the bulletin board for various animal rights fundraisers. She volunteered at homeless shelters during the holidays.

He cleared his throat. "Well, I assure you that we will be looking into this."

Rowan nodded. "All right."

The provost said she could go, and she went back to class. Throughout the day inquiries were made as to who the culprit was, but no one came forward.

"Why don't you tell them that it was Christine and Allison?" Toby asked her.

"I don't want to get in the middle of this, Toby," she said. "I don't have any proof to give them anyway.

Later, her brothers would ask if Toby knew who did it, and Rowan would tell them no. He wasn't around at the time. Why she didn't want to make a big deal out of it she couldn't explain. It was just more conflict that made her throat close up and her shoulders heavy.

----

Reid was pissed. Who would do that to Rowan? It was only during his talk with the provost that an idea came to mind. And when it blinked it stayed on and lit so bright it was blinding. He skipped third period and went straight to his dorm. Where was that photo album Rowan had made for him? One of those small flip ones that held 3.5x5.5 size photos, one for each page. She had put one together for each of them.

It was under his mattress. Hurriedly he flipped through it and came to one page with one picture missing. He knew it was the photograph of the five of them with their bald heads. And he knew of only one person who would have done this. Not to hurt Rowan, but to hurt him.

That bitch.

The dorms were quiet. Reid went to the girls' dormitory and straight to Christine's that she shared with Allison. The door was locked but he easily got it open. He locked it behind him and began to shuffle through Christine's side of the room. He flipped her laptop on and while it was booting up he went through her drawers, her closet, where he found another locked box. Opening it, he found the jackpot. There were scantily clad pictures of her. She had hinted about their existence to Reid, but he'd never gotten to see them. Inside the box there was also an unlabeled DVD.

He opened the DVD drive on her laptop and slipped it in. Options popped up, and two minutes later it was playing.

Reid scoffed. Christine was a bigger whore than he thought. He took the pictures, put the box back where he found it, took the DVD, and turned the laptop off. He was just about to leave when he saw something sticking out from between a stack of papers. It was the picture she had stolen from him. Rowan's face was blacked out with a Sharpie pen.

----

Allison had never seen Caleb so mad. He could barely speak and there was zero trace of the nice, sweet guy he was. She only felt a tad guilty about what Christine had done. But she'd seen that Rowan wasn't particularly upset about, so why should she? But naturally her friends and brothers were making a huge to-do, and the provost was making inquiries. She hadn't actually thought her best friend would go through with it.

"It'll blow over," she told him.

"That's not the point," he said.

"But why are you so upset? Your sister isn't."

"If you can't understand why I'm mad then you must not know me very well," he snapped. And he realized in an instant that she didn't. She liked the image of him. The Golden Boy. A Son of Ipswich.

"Don't say that," Allison pleaded. "Look, I'm sorry. We can go out for ice-cream or something, and tomorrow it'll be better."

Caleb couldn't stand to hear any more. He told her he had to go and left her.

----

Despite her putting on a face of ambivalence, Rowan felt something building in her chest that was close to heartache. When she got home she fed Ernie and Bubbe and the two new fish she'd gotten that were in a swank fish tank in her apothecary room. Then she told Caleb she was going to rest.

"Row, about the-"

"Don't worry about it, Cay. Really."

"We're not going to just let it slide," he told her.

She was halfway up the steps but stopped to look back at him. She smiled somewhat wistfully. "Whoever did it is enjoying how upset you all are, you know. That was the intention behind it."

Caleb sighed. That was like her. So used to people picking on her that by now she could brush it off like a piece of stray lint. But it hurt her, he knew that. He could see she was weary even though she tried to hide it. For their sakes or for hers? He let her go and went to the kitchen where Ernie and Bubbe were eating lunch.

"Hey, guys," he said.

Ernie licked his chops and went over to him, butting his head on Caleb's thigh. Bubbe was not to be outdone as she was purring and gliding across his leg, getting cat hair all over his slacks.

"All right, all right," he grinned. "Hey, you guys go up to Rowan, she's a bit down."

He decided to make her some tea and bring it to her. She probably wasn't asleep, so maybe he could get her to play a game of cards or something. It was Friday and he'd canceled his date with Allison, although she hadn't seemed overly upset this time. He was thinking about breaking it off with her, it just wasn't working, and he asked himself what he had seen in her in the first place. The biggest deterrent was the fact that Allison didn't like his sister, and sometimes she poked at him to choose between the two of them. And he would always choose Rowan in a heartbeat. And if Allison or any other girl in the future couldn't handle that, then that was their problem.

The water was boiling on the stove when his cell rang. He took it out of his pocket.

"Hey," he answered.

"Hey, how's Row?" Pogue asked.

"She came home and went straight to her room to rest."

Pogue was silent for a moment. "I think I know who put those flyers up."

"Who?"

"I have no proof of course. Just deduction of reasoning."

"Who, Pogue?"

"Reid's thwarted love," Pogue said sarcastically. "Christine."

Now it was Caleb's turn to be silent. Allison always said that she and Christine told each other everything. Did that mean that Allison knew what Christine was going to do? And was Allison really so cruel as to let Christine do it?

"Talked to Dizzy, too. You know how she is. She's been hearing things."

Maria may have been a gossip, but oddly enough her information was usually ninety-nine percent correct. Caleb felt himself getting angry all over again and the rush of his Power was bubbling towards the surface so he could feel the heat of his behind his eyes. He wanted to blame someone. Anyone. And Reid was his first culprit. If he hadn't dated Christine none of this would have happened.

Reid was thinking the same thing, too.

----

_If I hadn't dated that chick none of this would've happened,_ Reid thought. While he silently berated himself he was contemplating what to do with the incriminating pictures and DVD he'd taken from Christine's dorm room. Should he photocopy some of the pictures and put them around school? Send it anonymously through e-mail to someone and let it circulate around? If he did that he knew almost every student would know about it before the day was out. But he didn't have one of those scanners, even though he knew someone who did. But he wasn't sure he wanted anyone to know it was him who had instigated Christine's downfall.

Despite this being a large school, it was also pretty insulated, and a public misdeed from a student would undoubtedly get back to her parents. Not that he cared or anything. Tyler came into the room just then and shut the door.

"So?" Tyler asked.

"So, what?" he tossed back.

"Pogue and Hunter talked, then Hunter called me-"

"What is this, gossip hour?"

Tyler didn't smile or laugh. "Said it was Christine." A beat of quiet: "But you know that."

Reid shrugged. No point in keeping it from Tyler, he'd figure it out sooner or later. "I went into her dorm room during class." He tossed the stack of photos to him which was held together by a rubber band. Tyler caught it flat against his chest.

He took the rubber band off and looked at the first picture which was fairly tame. By the third picture Tyler's face was red with embarrassment and he didn't bother looking at the rest.

"It's amazing what chicks will hide in their rooms," Reid said. "In locked boxes." He wiggled the DVD between his index and middle finger. "And DVDs, too."

"Is that…" Tyler was almost afraid to ask.

"Yup," Reid smirked. "Wanna see it?"

"No!" Tyler blurted.

Reid laughed. "Ah, come on, baby boy. It's amateurish, but kinda funny, too."

"No, thanks, Reid."

"All right…but if you change your mind…"

"What do you plan on doing with…" he gestured towards Reid's findings.

"Don't know yet." His fiendish glee deflated and the sneer left his face.

Knowing his facial expressions and the meanings of his silences, Tyler could almost hear what Reid was thinking. "It's not your fault."

Reid waved away Tyler's placating words. But he was blaming himself. "I could slap the shit out of her for doing this." But he'd never hit a girl before, didn't know if he could no matter how much he wanted to or how much she deserved it.

Then Tyler saw the discarded picture on the nightstand. The picture Christine had used; Rowan's face was blacked out. Tyler was a naturally calm and good-natured individual, but the deliberate hurt that Christine caused his sister infuriated him.

"She stole this from you?" Tyler asked.

"Bitch," he muttered harshly under his breath. "I think if I go near her I might choke her."

"Yeah." And even Tyler couldn't blame him.

----

Rowan had trouble falling asleep that night. She'd let silent tears course down her face and onto her pillow. She lay on her side facing the window where the moon shone bright. Someone from the school had contacted her mom and told her about the flyers. Evelyn had made a stink about it, and then tried to comfort Rowan even though she insisted that she was fine.

I'm fine. I am fine. I'll be fine.

She really should be getting some rest. Tomorrow she was going to a ranch with three other volunteers from the humane society where abused race horses were rehabilitating after their ordeals. Just the thought of helping out made Rowan feel better. She could always find a haven with animals for some odd reason. Even though it broke her heart to see any animal in pain, there was always hope that they would get better; that they would find good homes and be loved until their last day.

"Gotta have some faith," she whispered.

* * *

**_I'd love to know what you think. :)_**

**_I guess it's kind of pointless to continue if no one's reading. O_O  
_**


	14. Yesterday's Feelings

**XIV. Yesterday's Feelings**

_Close my eyes and move__  
to the back of my mind__  
The worries are washed out to sea__  
See the changes, people's faces blurred out  
__Like the sunspots or raindrops...__  
Now all those feelings, those yesterdays' feelings  
__will all be lost in time…  
-The Used_

Rowan was out front of her house playing fetch with Bubbe and Ernie when Reid came over with Pogue. Pogue gave her a hug and asked her how she was doing to which she replied with her mantra: "I'm fine."

The two animals greeted them profusely, then Ernie went and sniffed Pogue's bike.

"Do _not_ even think about it, Ernie," Pogue warned.

And Ernie just smiled his dog-smile with his tongue lolling out, and sat dutifully next to Pogue's precious Ducati as if he were aiming to guard it and not mark it.

"Ernie," Rowan said, and the dog gave one last look at the Ducati and ambled back over to Rowan.

Pogue went inside and Reid then approached Rowan warily as if he were expecting her to lash out at him even though she'd never do that. She was wearing an old pair of jeans that fit to her body, her Chuck's, and a double-layered black and white tank top. Her hair was in a pony tail.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey," she replied. She threw the ball and Ernie chased after it. He was about to say something when she interrupted: "Look, if you came here to apologize, then don't. Whatever happened, it's not your fault."

Reid slipped his hands into his worn jeans and hung his head, unable to meet her eyes. He still hadn't done anything with what he'd found in Christine's room and by now she was probably searching frantically for them.

Rowan wasn't offering up any conversation. She was sick of thinking and talking about the stupid flyer and just wanted to put it out of her mind. There was nothing to be done about it, everyone had seen it; they'd either gotten a good laugh about it or thought it was a sick prank. And Rowan knew there was no way Allison or Christine would cop to it anyway.

"Get that hang-dog look off your face, Reid," Rowan said with a small smile. "It doesn't become you."

That got Reid to grin. But he had to… "I am sorry though."

And Rowan deflated, she threw Ernie's ball half-heartedly like all the fight had gone out of her suddenly. She went to sit on the steps that led up to the ornate double-doors of her home and plopped down. Reid sat next to her.

"I'll make it right," he went on.

Rowan scoffed. "By doing what? Humiliating her?"

He shrugged.

She shook her head. "What good would that do?"

"She deserves it."

"If the wrong was done to me, and I don't care, then why should you do something about it?"

"Because…" he struggled, "she wanted to hurt me through you."

"And you shouldn't let her," her voice rose. "That's what she _wants_. Don't you get that? Do none of you _get_ that?" Rowan's jaw clenched and she put her head in her hands. She was reaching the end of her rope. "I swear that school is poison."

"What?" Reid was confused.

"The school! It's poison! What's wrong with you guys? You're acting like she declared war on us or something."

"She might as well have," he insisted. "And you're acting like it's nothing, but I know you're upset."

"You know what I'm upset about?" Her head snapped to him and her eyes burned like a kaleidoscope of whirling autumn leaves. "She cut me out of the picture. All this year I've just been hanging by a thread and finally it's been severed. And I know that sounds overdramatic, but…"

"I don't understand, Row," Reid said hesitantly.

She sighed. "I don't either. Just forget it." She felt stupid for trying to explain in the first place.

"No, explain it to me. I want to know. I've seen you looking sad sometimes…" Like now, he thought. "Talk to me."

It seemed like she was about to say something but a car came into view and made its way up the long driveway.

"There's my ride," Rowan said. She stood up and brushed off the seat of her jeans.

"Where're you going?"

"The ranch where the abused race horses are being taken care of," she said. "I've only been talking about it all week."

Reid winced. How could he have forgotten that? It was one of the few times she'd seemed enthusiastic about something in a long time.

"Okay…" he said.

The car came to a stop in front of them. There was a woman driving, a young guy in the passenger seat and a girl who was probably a few years older than Rowan sitting in the back.

"I'll see you later," Rowan said. She said bye to Ernie and Bubbe. "No, you can't come, you guys. Maybe next time, okay?" Before Rowan got into the car she turned back to Reid and looked at him for a second. "Bye, Reid."

"Bye, Row. I'll call you later, ok?"

She nodded.

----

A lot of students went home for the weekend so Spensers could usually be subdued on Saturdays. And the seniors had finished their final exams and were getting ready for graduation, so they were scarce, too. Tyler was having dinner at his parents' house so Reid was alone in his dorm room when a frantic pounding sounded at his door.

"What?" he answered, not even thinking about who it could be.

The door whooshed opened and slammed behind an irate Christine. "Where are they?"

Reid's signature smirk spread on his lips slowly. He tossed his comic book aside, and crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, look who it is."

She took a few cautious steps towards him. Her fists were clenched, her face a mottled red, and it looked as if she'd been crying. "I am dead serious, Reid. Where are they?"

"Where are what?"

"Don't mess around!" she nearly screamed. Christine struggled to quiet her voice not wanting anyone else to hear. "You know what I'm talking about."

"I really don't, Christine." He was still smirking. He swung himself off the bed and ambled to her, stopping a foot in front of her.

She looked up at him, her chest heaving.

"You don't look so good, Christine," Reid pushed. "Maybe you should go to the nurse."

"Just…give them back, okay?"

Reid then tapped his fingers against his lips in mock contemplation, stretching out the already taut silence and feeding the thick, heady tension by circling casually around her like a vulture. Christine didn't move, but just followed him with her head.

"Why should I?" Reid finally spoke. "Why should I do anything for you after what you did?" He raised his eyebrows in question. "Hmm?"

Christine was struggling to calm herself. "What do I have to do?"

Reid laughed. "Ah…that's…that's good," he said, wagging his index finger at her. "Maybe there's nothing you can do."

She took a deep breath. "Listen, just tell me what you want and I'll do it. You give me back what you took. Deal?"

He examined her for a moment. "No. No deal." He headed to the door, ready to kick her out but she grabbed him above the elbow with more strength than he thought she had.

"I will die if you don't give those back to me!"

He rolled his eyes. "You're so dramatic."

Tears welled in her eyes, she was desperate. "I'll apologize to Rowan, if that's what you want."

At the mention of Rowan's name, most of the humor left Reid's face. "Leave."

"No! Not until you give them back! Where are they?" And she began to lose it. She tore apart Tyler's bed, then Reid's, and he simply watched like one would watch hyper monkeys at the zoo. "Where are they?" she yelled. She yanked the drawer out of his nightstand, slapped the lamp off of it, too.

It looked like a hurricane had hit his dorm room. Then Christine swiped a picture off of Tyler's nightstand. One he, Ty, Hunter, Pogue, Caleb, Reid, Ernie and Bubbe had taken over the summer. And then she chucked it at Reid. It was a sloppy throw and he didn't even have to move for it to miss him. And that was the last straw. He hated chicks who threw things, especially at him.

"All right, time's up." He grabbed her by her wrist and dragged her to the door. "Have a nice life."

"No!" she yelled. "Damn you, give them back!"

A few people were out in the hall and they stopped to look at them. Reid shrugged. "She's thinks I stole her Beanie Baby collection," he said.

The guys laughed and walked on.

"I swear…" Christine said.

"Swear what?" Reid interrupted. "Get the hell out of my face, you bitch. Don't talk to me. Don't see me. And don't ever fuck with Rowan again or your famous real-estate daddy is going to get a front row seat to his baby girl's extracurricular activities." Reid slammed the door in her stricken face. Facing the room, he sighed at the mess. His eyes blackened and in a second it was as it was.

----

Caleb could hear Christine crying in the background. Allison had called him to ask him a favor.

"Listen um…Reid stole something from Christine," she began.

"Stole what?" Caleb said, trying to keep his tone level. What shenanigans was Reid up to now?

"Um…"

Caleb was in his room, touching up one of his final essays. Ernie was at his feet, and Bubbe was on the desk, her tail occasionally obstructing the keypad.

"Well?" Caleb prompted.

"Does it matter?" Allison said. "Can you tell Reid to give them back?"

"How do I even know he stole anything? All I have his Christine's word."

"Why would she lie?" Allison asked, insulted.

"I know it was her who put up those flyers of my sister, Allison. Okay?"

She was quiet on the other line, Christine's sniffles still audible. "She's sorry about that," Allison said. "She says she'll apologize to Rowan if Reid will give back what he took."

Ernie whined and put his head on Caleb's lap. He petted the dog's head. "Whatever happened between Reid and Christine is their business. I'm not getting in the middle of it."

"What he took is really valuable, Caleb," Allison went on. "Can you just talk to him?"

"Did you know Christine was going to put up those flyers, Allison?" Caleb blurted, not knowing he was struggling with that before he'd even said the words. He listened to the long silence, her lack of denial a glaring beam of guilt. "Why didn't you do something, Allison?"

"I…I didn't think she'd actually go through with it," she said lamely.

"What does that matter?" Caleb snapped. "We're talking about my sister. My sister, who has been nothing but nice to you even though your attitude always left something to be desired."

"She's not my friend, all right? Christine is," Allison retorted. "I don't have to coddle her like you and your friends."

"We don't coddle her," he defended himself. "And if we do, so what? She's our sister. What does that have to do with you and Christine doing something so hateful?"

"God, it was a joke!" she groaned.

"Some joke," Caleb said between clenched teeth.

The doorbell rang.

"I got to go," he said.

"Wait! What about Reid?"

Doorbell. Doorbell.

"I already told you, I'm not getting in the middle of it."

"CALEB!" his mother screamed.

He hung up and started to run to the door at the same time.

"CALEB!"

"What is it?" His blood ran cold when he saw two policemen standing in the foyer. He immediately went to stand by his mother and she clung to him.

"Does a Rowan Danvers reside here?" one of the men asked.

"Yes," Caleb said.

"What happened to my baby?" Evelyn's voice wavered.

"I'm sorry to tell you ma'am…"

And instead of leaning on Caleb, he had to hold her up.

----

They were in the hospital waiting room, going crazy with news about Rowan. The families were there except for Reid's parents who were flying in from whatever foreign country they were at. The room was choked with despair. Evelyn clutched her son's hand like a lifeline. Reid sat in a chair, head in his hands. Pogue and Tyler each sat with their set of parents, quiet, contemplative. Hunter sat next to Reid, quiet. Caleb had called Pogue from the car, and Pogue called the rest of them. In less than an hour they were all at the hospital.

Details were choppy, but the gist of it was nothing good. Two college students were heading to a party. The driver was overly intoxicated and had been trying to dial a number while maneuvering the vehicle. The passenger had been drunk as well. They swerved into another lane, hit one car, creating a slippery slope of destruction. The car Rowan was in was hit the worst. The car had flipped and rolled at high speed, crushing the vehicle. The driver had died on impact. The other two were in critical condition. It had taken almost three hours to remove them from the car because of the severity of their injuries and an oil spill that threatened to ignite.

Rowan had not lost consciousness until they had placed her on the gurney. That was when she began to fade.

Finally, a tired, troubled looking doctor came to the waiting room. They all glared at him, as if trying to suck the news out of him. He pegged Evelyn as the mother, and addressed her and Caleb. His lips moved and his head shook regretfully. Evelyn's mouth opened to let out a piercing wail. Reid stared at the doctor dumbly. Mrs. Simms helped Caleb with his mother for the boy was in deep shock himself, and Pogue gripped Caleb's shoulder. Tyler could barely simulate the news, Hunter's insides were breaking. Reid flipped and punched the wall again and again until Hunter stopped him and held him tight until the fight went out of Reid's body and he slumped to the ground.

* * *

**:o) Yeah?**


	15. Water, Carry Me

**XV. Water, Carry Me**

_Resignedly beneath the sky__  
The melancholy waters lie.  
-Edgar Allan Poe_

_Beneath the thick water she could feel pain wracking her body. The water pressed down on her with its heavy hand, squeezing her lungs, forbidding breath to leave her body. It was dark down on the ocean's floor, cold. It reminded her of the Gray Lands. That place between Here and There. Was that where she was? No. There was no pain in the Gray Lands. She was alone here though, looking up through the murky waters. Was she dying or suffering or being punished? Time was unmoving. Still. Frozen. She could stay here forever with this pain or she could move on. She had no unfinished business in Life; and would not end up in the Gray Lands as a meandering spirit searching for conclusions. But she could not stay here either._

_She closed her eyes, wanting the decision to be made for her. Let Fate take over. She did not want the choice. If she was meant to die now, then so be it. But her family flashed in her mind. She wished the water would carry their images away._

_But there was Caleb with his loving smile. He helped her walk and was with her when she had taken her first steps. He had clapped for her. He held her hand when crossing the streets, tied her shoes when she couldn't. Pushed her wheelchair when she was sick. Sat with her when she was ill. Christ, it had even been Caleb she'd asked the school nurse to get when she'd gotten her period in the eighth grade. She hadn't said anything and he'd just sat with her in the nurse's room on that gurney-bed with the crinkly paper on it. _

_Pogue came to her, too. He was the epitome of casual. His face would be next to it in the dictionary. She'd been the first one to get a ride on his Ducati. He had explained to her every nut and bolt of his favorite machine while she listened as the dutiful younger sister, asking for another ride, until even he had to laugh, but say no more._

_Tyler was closest to her age. But he was an older brother to her, too. He wasn't just the baby boy of the group, but another person to watch out for her. Surprising people with his sudden fierceness if he was defending her. Tyler had a quiet strength that she admired, one of those still waters that ran deep and pure. _

_Hunter came smiling at her. She had thought he was the most beautiful boy she'd ever seen when she first met him. She had sensed the otherness to him, the way he stood apart from the crowd, the outcast's face. And then she was blessed with another person whom she knew would love and accept her no matter what. _

_Then Reid. She struggled to shut her eyes, but couldn't. It was the way he looked at her with those cerulean blue eyes, intense and tender at the same time. Her first kiss, the one who created heat in her belly that spread like wildfire throughout her body. The one who kissed her with a passion but then would let her go afterwards. But it would not make her regret. He was first to punch anyone who crossed her, always the first to act. Spontaneous, reckless Reid. He didn't care about a lot, but what he did care for he cared for deeply. She wished he would let more people see it. _

_She was still in pain. Still hadn't taken a breath. The weight would not let her. She had to make a choice. She didn't want to make it. She just wanted to float away to There. But could she leave them all behind? Nana said that they needed her. _

_Now, through the density of water, she could hear crying, wailing. The smiles of her family left and were replaced with their tears and faces of agony. Why were they crying? Why did they all look like their world had ended? She hated seeing them in such pain. _

_It'll be all right, she wanted to tell them._

_The need to comfort them trumped her desire for rest. She forgot about There, and felt herself being released by the hand that held her as she floated up and onto the waves that carried her back to shore._

_

* * *

**Muchos gracias for the reviews! :):):)**  
_


	16. Frozen

**XVI. Frozen**

_Now there's no point in placing the blame  
And you should know I suffer the same  
If I lose you  
My heart will be broken  
Love is a bird, she needs to fly  
Let all the hurt inside of you die  
You're frozen  
__When your heart's not open  
-Madonna_

It was almost unbelievable when a nurse had run into the waiting room and pulled the doctor aside, whispering frantically. The doctor's tired eyes and sparked and flicked to the swarm of agonized faces. Even in their haze of sorrow they picked up on the doctor's confliction. He had to go back to the operating room where he had, not five minutes ago, declared the young girl dead. But seeing it for himself, the girl's heartbeat had come alive, and the heart monitor danced its jagged lines, though unpredictably. The nurse had gone back and explained the situation to them to their shock. They were left hanging by a thread while Rowan was being worked on again. Hours later the harried doctor came back to them. She was alive, but in critical condition. She had suffered internal bleeding, several broken bones, lacerations, and she was in a coma. He could not predict if or when she would come out of it.

It was almost four in the morning when Caleb and his mother returned home. Hunter stayed with them and helped Caleb with his mom. Evelyn took her pills and was asleep in minutes. Caleb wished he could drown himself so easily. Ernie and Bubbe were following them around, wondering where Rowan was. The house was empty without her. Caleb was at a loss as to what to do. He made sure to listen up for the phone in case there was any change in Rowan's condition. He had been allowed to see her briefly. It killed him to see his little sister broken and held together by casts. Tubes going in and out of her body, the taunting beep of the heart monitor.

It was painful for Hunter, too. He called Gabriel and told him, spoke to Roz and she said they would be on the next plane over. Hunter slept in his usual room. Ernie and Bubbe were still padding around aimlessly.

The days passed and there was no change with Rowan. They were allowed to visit with her briefly during the day. Reid went once and couldn't bring himself to visit again. His world had come crumbling down when the doctor had said Rowan didn't make it, and then his world was just plain chaos when the doctor told them Rowan's heart had resumed beating but was now in a coma. He didn't want to believe it. So he had experienced the ineffable pain of knowing Rowan was dead once, now he had to wait around to hear if she would die again. Would it hurt as much as the first time?

----

School ended and Spensers was empty. While they should have been stoked that summer vacation was here they were all anxious and deadened. Roz tended to Evelyn as to let Caleb, the poor boy, grieve in his own way. So young, he shouldn't have had to shoulder his mother in this way. Gabriel stayed with her; Nana was too old to travel but sent her thoughts to Rowan, trying to reach her goddaughter in the comatose recesses of her injured mind.

The Sons spent most of their time at the Danvers estate, wanting to be right there if a call should come from the hospital. Ernie and Bubbe were besides themselves until Ernie was taken to the hospital wearing his therapy-dog vest and was able to see Rowan for himself.

Two weeks after the accident they were all having a quiet dinner in Caleb's dining room. Conversation was scarce because it seemed sacrilegious to speak of everyday things while Rowan was in a coma. Roz had a dominating presence that kept them from sinking too far in their grief. She encouraged them to speak to Rowan when they visited her. She knew that most people in comas were simply lost and needed a familiar voice to guide them back.

The phone rang and Caleb jumped up from the table, everyone else fell silent, languishing in the expectant air of suspense.

"Hello?" he answered. He nodded a little bit and then hung up. "Gorman."

The air deflated from the room like an old balloon. Reid got up and left. He was separating himself from everyone, accepted no overtures of comfort or kind words and was gradually immersing himself in his own mire of anguish. They had pretty much given up on trying to reach him.

After most everyone had left Caleb went to check on his mother but he saw that Roz had it covered. Then his feet took him to Rowan's empty room. He turned on the lamp and sat on her bed. Ernie and Bubbe jumped on it and bunched close to him. Rowan would call this separation anxiety, this was probably the longest time they had gone without seeing or hearing her. At night they would gather in Caleb's bed, and often followed him or Hunter around the house, never letting them out of their sight. Definitely going through some separation anxiety, he thought. They all were.

He missed his sister and felt helpless that there was nothing he could do to bring her back home. One of his earliest memories was of his dad telling him that he was a big brother now and had to watch out for his sister.

"And when she gets big enough," William Danvers had said, "she's going to watch out for you, too."

Those words had never rung more true until his dad had finally lost his battle with controlling his Powers and became a virtual invalid. Caleb had initially tried to shield Rowan from their mom's drinking but Rowan had known. She had helped him get their mother to bed and nurse her hangovers. She was the light in the darkness, a reminder that even though they were being forced to deal with things beyond their mental maturity, they had to remain young at heart and remember that it wasn't always hopeless.

"Have Faith," she would say with a perfunctory nod of her head. "That's my middle name, so you have to have it."

Yeah, she was the one who'd thrown pudding-filled balloons at him when she thought he was getting too morose. Ernie and Bubbe would steal his socks and shoes and have him chasing them around the house if he was feeling stressed out over his parents. His head fell into his hands as he felt warm tears gather in his eyes again.

----

Reid was missing. He had stolen his dad's fully restored 1967 Ford Mustang two days ago and hadn't been seen since. He wasn't answering his cell phone and he sure as hell hadn't called them, the inconsiderate bastard. Caleb was pissed. Rowan was in a coma and they all had enough to think about without worrying if Reid was going to wrap his car around a telephone pole. And he knew Reid was drinking lately like a classic lush and that pissed him off even more.

So on the third night of Reid's absence Caleb tried scrying for him. It was by no means his forte but he figured he'd try it anyway. He went into Rowan's apothecary and filled the crystal bowl with warm water and lit a candle. He had to clear his mind and see passed the water. Five minutes of staring an image finally surfaced; one he could barely make out but what he saw was enough. So he took his mom's car - he didn't have his license yet but he could still drive - and headed for the Dells.

The Dells was the place to party for the kids at Spensers and even some from the local schools. The parties were usually broken up by the cops but it didn't stop kids from coming. Caleb wound through Marblehead, eventually coming up by the Ford Mustang. Reid was nowhere to be found. Caleb got out and dialed Reid's cell phone number and listened closely for a ring. He enhanced his hearing and followed the ring until he came upon Reid sitting on the beach just barely out of reach of the water. He had a silver flask in his hand.

"What the hell are you doing, Reid?" Caleb snapped.

He groaned. "Figured someone would find me sooner or later," Reid griped. He looked back at Caleb. "Go away, Caleb."

In the distance waves crashed against the cliffs and the wind began to pick up.

"So this is what you do? Get drunk while Rowan is fighting for her life?" Caleb didn't bother to hide the contempt in his voice.

Reid's shoulders stiffened. "Shut up."

"No." Caleb reached down and grabbed the flask from Reid's hand and threw it in the ocean.

"What the fuck!" Reid yelled. He stood up, struggling a bit as his equilibrium was off. "What the hell is your problem?"

"What the hell is your problem?" Caleb shot back. "You take off without telling anyone where you're going, you avoid everyone, especially Rowan."

Reid scoffed and waved him away.

"You're not the only one here hurting, Reid!" That got Reid's attention. "And how do you think Rowan's going to feel when she wakes up and sees a drunk? She's in a coma right now because of some idiot who was drunk driving! And here you are joyriding with whisky on your breath!"

"I'm not a drunk!"

"You smell like one. You look like one. And you're acting like one."

Reid supposed he wasn't looking his best. He hadn't shaved since he'd taken off, his eyes were bloodshot, his skin sallow, his hair was oily.

"Go away," he said half-heartedly.

"I'm not leaving you here," Caleb said. "Come on."

"No."

"Don't be an idiot, Reid. What are you going to do, sleep here? Because you sure as hell aren't getting behind the wheel of your dad's car." The indignation in Caleb deflated; he didn't want to fight anymore. "Let's go."

"You go. I'll stay here, take off in the morning."

"No, you're going to visit Rowan in the morning. And you're not going the way you are."

Reid's heart caught in his throat and tears burned behind his closed eyelids. "I can't," he said, his words drowned out by the crash of waves.

"What?" Caleb stepped closer.

"I can't!" he said loudly. "I can't look at her like that!"

"You think it's easy for any of us?"

The blond took a deep breath of the salty air. "She was angry at me when she left. She was having a hard time of it all year and I barely noticed. I was too caught up in myself."

"Like now?"

"What?"

"You're so caught up in yourself right now, feeling sorry for yourself, that Rowan's taken a back seat to your self-pity. None of us really saw she was having a hard time. None of really tried to talk to her about it. Even I was caught up in the thrill high school, Reid. But that doesn't matter anymore. We have to be there for her _now_ instead of thinking about what we didn't do yesterday."

"Thanks, Dr. Phil," Reid quipped.

Caleb gave a dry chuckle. "Whatever. Let's go."

Reid had to lean on Caleb as they made their way up the small hill and back to their cars. Caleb called Hunter and told him they needed someone to drive the Mustang. Fifteen minutes later Hunter arrived with Gabriel on his motorcycle.

"Ah, so I am the lucky person who gets to drive this beauty?" Gabriel said with an appreciate eye of the Mustang.

"The name's Sally. So I don't think she's your type," Reid said.

Caleb put Reid in the passenger seat of his car. "Please don't throw up."

"Screw you, Caleb."

As the four made their way back to the Danvers estate Reid thought about Rowan. Let himself think about her for the first time in several days. The cool wind whipped his face and he wondered what he would say when he saw her tomorrow.

* * *

**The next chapter is the last chapter. Tis at an end! :**


	17. Kissing You Goodbye

**XVII. Kissing You Goodbye**

_Nowhere to go.__  
I'm not leaving.  
__I'm not going.  
__I'm not kissing you goodbye.__  
On my own.__  
I'm nothing, just bleeding.__  
I'm not kissing you goodbye.__  
Don't let me go, don't say goodbye  
__Don't let this love die.  
-The Used_

Reid didn't bother stopping at the gift shop to get Rowan flowers or a teddy bear. She always said that flowers looked better in the ground, and it was kind of sad to see them wilting all over the place. Unless one plans to make potpourri out of it, of course. Instead he'd gotten her a glass figurine of two parent penguins and their kid. It reminded him of the time she'd written a report in the sixth grade on the mating rituals of Emperor Penguins and the teacher had called her parents and suggested Rowan meet with the school counselor. And for good measure, two months later when another assignment came up, Rowan did her report on the mating rituals of praying mantises. Resulting in another telephone call to her parents.

Reid hated hospitals. The smell of antiseptic burned his nose and no matter what shoes you wore the floor always managed to squeak. He got his visitors pass and went to Rowan's room, walking slower the closer he got. Just as he rounded the corner, Pinkie exited Rowan's room.

"Reid!" Pinkie smiled and dabbed his eyes with a tissue.

"Hey, Pinkie."

Upon closer inspection Pinkie's face took on a veil of distaste. "Dear God, sweetie, you look terrible."

Reid laughed. "Thanks."

"I was just telling Rowan about this new line of shoes that came out," Pinkie said.

"And I'm sure she found that riveting," Reid replied.

Pinkie shrugged. "The doctors said to talk, so I talked."

There was an awkward moment of silence. Then Reid saw what Pinkie was about to do and unconsciously began to back away. "Ah, no, Pinks, don't…"

Pinkie burst out into sobs right there in the hallway. Reid tried to comfort him with a pat on the back but Pinkie's head ended up on Reid's shoulder and the blond found himself clumsily offering solace to the guy. He wasn't much for public displays of affectionate bromance but Reid understood where Pinkie was coming from.

"You're getting snot on my shirt, dude," Reid said after a couple of minutes.

Pinkie sniffed and laughed. "Sorry, I've just been… Well, you know."

Reid nodded.

He cleared his throat and straightened his sweater vest accordingly. "All right. I'll let you go now." He leaned in and said in a hushed whisper: "These Doogie Howsers are totally anal about visiting hours." Pinkie took a step, then added, "Oh, yeah. And if you see the nurse with the red frizzy hair and bright pink lipstick – hide."

"Thanks for the advice." They parted ways and in five steps Reid was in the doorway of Rowan's hospital room. The bright sunshine was filtering in making it seem less gloomy than on the night of the accident. The room was filled with flowers and balloons. He thought he should ask someone who worked here to take the flowers down to the Children's Ward because that's what Rowan would do if she were awake. There were tons of cards from the humane society, some came with a picture of the volunteers and their pets. There were cards from kids at school. The Chess Club. The AV nerds. The marching band, the botany club. Even though Rowan wasn't in any of those groups. Even the homeless shelter she volunteered at had sent their well wishes.

Reid wondered how many sincere overtures of support he would get if his and Rowan's positions were changed. What would he be remembered for? Dating the most girls? Breaking the most hearts? Those things didn't mean anything in the long run. Rowan had touched far more lives than he ever would. He took a breath and walked into the room and took the unoccupied chair next to Rowan's bed. He scooted nearer, finally seeing her up close.

A section of her head was shaved where they had had to saw off a part of her skull to alleviate a blood clot. The doctors said she was breathing okay despite her collapsed lung. Other than the coma her body was healing well. But Reid thought she looked tiny in the bed.

He cleared his throat. "So…sorry I haven't been here. That was selfish of me." Keep going, Reid, he told himself. He set the penguin figurine on the small table next to her and took her uninjured hand gently in his. "How long you planning on staying here?" he asked wryly. "Because we're all going a little stir crazy without you, Row." Reid had to pause to swallow the lump in his throat. "You know, they said you died. Then your heart started beating again. For five minutes I thought…" His voice cracked. He would not cry. He had been raised to not show that weakness even though Rowan was the only one he could cry in front of. But with her like this he felt he needed to be strong.

Quietly: "For five minutes I thought I would never see you again. See you laugh or smile. I think that was the worst pain I'd ever felt in my life. Now I know what it feels like to lose the person I love the most in the world, and then to get another chance." A hot tear rolled down his face unheeded. "I'm not perfect. But I'm even less without you. You know? You told me that there are some people who come into your life that just make you want to be a better person. And you're that person for me."

His eyes were shut and his tears fell on the back of Rowan's hand.

"Just…don't leave me, okay?" He felt what he'd been holding back for the past three weeks rise to the surface. He pressed his forehead to her hand and cried in deep choking sobs. "I need you, Rowan. I love you…and…just flinch or blink so I know you're there." He kissed the back of her hand.

Reid didn't know how long he stayed like that with his lips pressed against the back of her immobile hand. But he felt something move and his eyes snapped open. He looked at her face but nothing had changed. He put his lips back on her hand and waited, then he felt the undulation again, saw the slight movement of her fingers. Reid's heart beat rapidly. He considered calling out for the nurse but didn't want to jinx it. If Rowan woke up he thought it would be better not to have strangers in the room.

Then, her eyelids flickered, her long lashes fluttering like ebony butterfly wings.

"Rowan," he said. "I'm here."

Her mouth moved and slowly her eyes opened, and he saw her beautiful brown eyes for the first time in weeks. Rowan looked at him, confused, then her eyes shut again as if the effort to keep them open was too much. He was whispering 'please' over and over in his head. Don't let this have been my imagination.

An audible breath came from her. Eyes opened again.

"Rowan," he said to her.

She was looking steadily at him.

"Reid…" Her voice was scratchy and hoarse.

And damned if more tears didn't escape his eyes just then.

"Hi," he said.

THE END

* * *

_**All right, that's the end of it. :) There will be a sequel entitled "Losing Faith" so watch out for that. Thanks to all those who've read and reviewed or both. I majorly appreciate it. Especially since this was my first shot at a contemporary piece of writing, mostly anyway. Thanks again!**_


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